Potential role of Alternaria and Cladosporium species in canine lymphoplasmacytic rhinitis

in Journal of Small Animal Practice (2013), 54 (4)

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 and its activating pathways in canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

in Proceedings of the 22nd ECVIM-CA Congress (2012, September)

Clinical, bronchoscopic, histopathologic, diagnostic imaging, and arterial oxygenation findings in West Highland White Terriers with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

in Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (2011)

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, interstitial lung disease primarily affecting West Highland White Terriers (WHWTs). OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinicopathological and ... [more ▼]

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, interstitial lung disease primarily affecting West Highland White Terriers (WHWTs). OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinicopathological and diagnostic imaging features in WHWTs with IPF. ANIMALS: Twelve WHWTs with IPF and 14 healthy control WHWTs. METHOD: Prospective study. Clinical signs and findings of physical examination, blood and arterial blood gas analyses, radiography, high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) of IPF dogs were obtained and compared with controls. Histopathologic changes in IPF dogs were evaluated. RESULTS: Mean partial pressure of oxygen was significantly lower in IPF (mean ± SD, 65.5 ± 15.4 mmHg) than in controls (99.1 ± 7.8 mmHg, P<.001). The alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient was significantly higher in IPF (50.1 ± 17.3 mmHg) than in controls (17.5 ± 4.9 mmHg, P<.001). In HRCT, ground glass opacity (GGO) was detected in all IPF dogs, traction bronchiectasis in 4, and honeycombing in 1. Bronchoscopic airway changes were noted in all IPF dogs. On BAL fluid (BALF) cytology, the total cell count (TCC) was higher in IPF dogs, and the numbers but not the percentages of macrophages, neutrophils, and mast cells were increased. On histopathology, multifocal or diffuse interstitial fibrosis, type II pneumocyte hyperplasia, prominent intraalveolar macrophages, distortion of alveolar architecture, and emphysematous change were detected. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: IPF causes substantial hypoxemia. In HRCT, GGO is a consistent finding. IPF dogs have concurrent airway changes and an increase in BALF TCC. [less ▲]

Endothelin-1 as a serum biomarker in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in dogs

in Proceedings of the 20th ECVIM-CA Congress (2010)

An Immunohistochemical Study of the Inflammatory Infiltrate Associated with Nasal Carcinoma in Dogs and Cats.

in Journal of Comparative Pathology (2009), 141(1)

Familial glomerulopathy in seven French Mastiff dogs.

in Proceedings of the 18th Annual Congress of the ECVIM-CA (2008)

Development and application of multiple internal reference (housekeeper) gene assays for accurate normalisation of canine gene expression studies

in Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology (2007), 117(1-2), 55-66

Measurement of mRNA expression by real-time RT-PCR (QRT-PCR) has proven to be an important and powerful tool for the investigation of the pathogenesis of inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases in many ... [more ▼]

Measurement of mRNA expression by real-time RT-PCR (QRT-PCR) has proven to be an important and powerful tool for the investigation of the pathogenesis of inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases in many species. This methodology has proven particularly valuable in the dog, a species for which there are currently few specific antibodies for measurement of relevant proteins. Internal control (housekeeper) mRNAs are widely used for normalisation of QRT-PCR results. The validation and use of multiple internal control mRNAs for increased accuracy of normalisation has been described for humans and rodents. The aims of this study were to develop QRT-PCR assays for 11 potential internal control mRNAs in the dog (ACTB, B2M, G3PDH, HMBS, HPRT1, RPL 13A, RPL32, RPS 18, SDHA, TBP and YWAZ) and validate their use with bone marrow, colon, duodenum, heart, kidney, liver, lung, lymph node, skeletal muscle, pancreas, spleen and stomach from seven dogs. Endoscopic biopsies of the superficial duodenal mucosa were also obtained from nine dogs suffering from chronic gastro-oesophageal disease. The most stably expressed genes varied in the tissues examined. RPL13A and RPL32 (both components of the 60S ribosomal subunit) were the most stably expressed genes in the majority of the tissues examined, whereas ACTB and B2M were the least stable. Distinct internal control genes were shown to be most appropriate for use in full-thickness versus superficial mucosal biopsies of the duodenum. The results of this study indicate that there are no universal control genes for gene expression studies in canine tissues. It is important to use multiple internal control genes based upon a survey of potential control genes applied to representative samples from different disease groups, culture conditions and/or time points in an experimental study. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. [less ▲]

Distinct tissue cytokine and chemokine mRNA expression in canine sino-nasal aspergillosis and idiopathic lymphoplasmacytic rhinitis

in Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology (2007), 117

Idiopathic lymphoplasmacytic rhinitis (LPR) and sino-nasal aspergillosis (SNA) are among the most common causes of nasal discharge in dogs. The pathogenesis of both diseases is poorly understood. Some ... [more ▼]

Idiopathic lymphoplasmacytic rhinitis (LPR) and sino-nasal aspergillosis (SNA) are among the most common causes of nasal discharge in dogs. The pathogenesis of both diseases is poorly understood. Some have proposed that LPR is a chronic inflammatory response to an inhaled irritant, pollutant or allergen, but others suggest that most cases of LPR constitute undiagnosed cases of SNA. Local immune dysfunction is thought to permit opportunist infection in canine SNA. This study investigates the nature of the local tissue immune response mounted in canine LPR and SNA in order to determine whether these diseases have similar or distinct pathogenesis. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was carried out on RNA isolated from nasal biopsies from diseased and control dogs, using specific assays designed to amplify messenger RNA (mRNA), encoding a panel of cytokines and chemokines. SNA was associated with significantly increased expression of mRNA encoding interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p19, IL-12p35, IL-12p40, IL-18, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta, eotaxin-2 and all four monocyte chemoattractant proteins (MCPs) relative to controls. LPR was associated with significantly increased expression of mRNA encoding IL-5, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p19, IL12p40, IL-18, TNF-alpha, TGF-(3, MCP-2 and MCP-3 relative to controls. There was significantly more expression of mRNA encoding IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p35, IL-12p40, IL-18, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, TGF-(3 and all MCPs, and significantly less expression of IL-5 in dogs with SNA than in dogs with LPR. Thus, the profile of cytokine and chemokine gene expression in the nasal mucosa is different in dogs with LPR when compared to dogs with SNA. A partial Th2 immune response appears to be mounted in the nasal mucosa of dogs with LPR, whereas the mucosal immune response in canine SNA is of the Th1 type. Increase in IL-10 and TGF-(3 transcripts in dogs with SNA is thought to be implicated in the failure to clear the Aspergillus infection. These results constitute the first evidence that the pathogenesis of canine LPR and SNA is distinct. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved. [less ▲]

Diagnosis of canine sino-nasal aspergillosis: is quantification of Aspergillus DNA a useful technique?

in Proceedings of the 24th VCRS meeting (2006)

Quantification of mRNA encoding cytokines and chemokines in nasal biopsies from dogs with sino-nasal aspergillosis

in Veterinary Microbiology (2006), 114(3-4), 318-326

Canine sino-nasal aspergillosis is usually caused by Aspergillus fumigatus and is similar to human chronic erosive non-invasive fungal sinusitis. The pathogenesis of the disease is poorly understood. We ... [more ▼]

Canine sino-nasal aspergillosis is usually caused by Aspergillus fumigatus and is similar to human chronic erosive non-invasive fungal sinusitis. The pathogenesis of the disease is poorly understood. We investigated the nature of the local immune response mounted in canine sino-nasal aspergillosis. Quantitative RT-PCR was carried out on RNA isolated from nasal biopsies from diseased and control dogs, using specific assays designed to amplify mRNA encoding a panel of cytokines and chemokines. Canine sino-nasal aspergillosis was associated with significantly increased expression of mRNA encoding MCP-1, -2, -3 and -4, IL-8, IL-10, EL-18 and TNF-alpha relative to controls (P < 0.01) but there was no difference between groups with respect to IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-12, TGF-beta, and eotaxin-2 and -3. The up-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines related to the influx of phagocytic cells might account for the localisation of this infection to the upper respiratory tract. The up-regulation of the expression of the immunomodulatory cytokine IL-10 in nasal tissue from affected dogs might be important in limiting the extent of local tissue destruction, but might also account for the fact that infected dogs are generally unable to clear this infection spontaneously. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. [less ▲]