First Case of Autochthonous Equine Theileriosis in Austria

A 23-year-old pregnant warmblood mare from Güssing, Eastern Austria, presented with apathy, anemia, fever, tachycardia and tachypnoea, and a severely elevated serum amyloid A concentration. The horse had a poor body condition and showed thoracic and pericardial effusions, and later dependent edema and icteric mucous membranes. Blood smear and molecular analyses revealed an infection with Theileria equi. Upon treatment with imidocarb diproprionate, the mare improved clinically, parasites were undetectable in blood smears, and 19 days after hospitalization the horse was discharged from hospital. However, 89 days after first hospitalization, the mare again presented to the hospital with an abortion, and the spleen of the aborted fetus was also PCR-positive for T. equi. On the pasture, where the horse had grazed, different developmental stages of Dermacentor reticulatus ticks were collected and subjected to PCR, and one engorged specimen was positive for T. equi. All three amplicon sequences were identical (T. equi genotype E). It is suspected that T. equi may repeatedly be transmitted in the area where the infected mare had grazed, and it could be shown that transmission to the fetus had occurred. Due to the chronic nature of equine theileriosis and the possible health implications of infection, it is advised to include this disease in the panel of differential diagnoses in horses with relevant clinical signs, including horses without travel disease, and to be aware of iatrogenic transmission from inapparent carrier animals.

Download Full-text

Epizootiological Study of the Occurrence of Canine Babesiosisin Southwestern Slovakia

Folia Veterinaria ◽

10.1515/fv-2016-0027 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 60 (3) ◽

pp. 39-42

Author(s):

K. Řeháčková ◽

M. Haláková ◽

B. Víchová ◽

A. Kočišová

Keyword(s):

Ixodes Ricinus ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Dermacentor Reticulatus ◽

Babesia Canis ◽

Molecular Method ◽

Canine Babesiosis ◽

Blood Smears ◽

Loss Of Appetite ◽

Representative Samples

Abstract This epizootiological study was carried out to investigate the occurrence of canine babesiosis in southwestern Slovakia. The study focused on the proportion of the species of ticks serving as babesia vectors of babesiosis in the ticks collected from selected locations close to Komárno, in southwestern Slovakia. Additionally, observations were made on the health and overall clinical signs in dogs suspected of having babesiosis. In 2014 we collected ticks from vegetation by the drag cloth (flagging) method and also directly from dogs. A totally of 622 ticks were collected: 491 Dermacentor reticulatus and 131 Ix-odes ricinus. Representative samples of ticks (n = 103) were examined by the molecular method and the presence of Babesia spp. DNA was identified in 12.5 % of the Ixodes ricinus ticks collected by flagging and in 9.5 % of the Ixodes ricinus ticks collected from the dogs. Babesia canis (KU681325) with 90 bp sequence, 100 % identical with Babesia canis isolates from dogs for example from: Turkey (KF499115), Rumania (HQ662634), Croatia (FJ209025), Poland (EU622792) and Russia (AY962186), was confirmed after sequencing in one Ixodes ricinus female obtained from a dog. This was the first confirmation of the occurrence of B. canis in Ixodes ricinus ticks in Slovakia. In 2.2 % of the Dermacentor reticulatus ticks obtained from vegetation by flagging, we were able to diagnose the DNA of Babesia canis. In 4.8 % of the Dermacentor reticulatus ticks collected from dogs, the presence of Babesia spp. was confirmed. Thirty three dogs with suspicion of babesiosis were observed in an ambulance by their health and clinical signs. The loss of appetite was observed in 22 patients (66.7 %), apathy in 19 cases (57.6 %), and fever in 19 cases. Closer specification indicating babesiosis was finding engorged ticks on the dog bodies which occurred in 21 cases (63.6 %), haematuria in 8 cases (24.2 %), anaemia in 4 cases (12.1 %), and tremor in 6 cases (18.2 %). Other non-specific signs, such as diarrhoea, vomitus, slowed-down movement, ataxia and lacrimation were also observed in less than 18 % of the examined dogs. On the basis of the specific clinical signs, blood was withdrawn from 33 dogs for preparation of blood smears and in 19 of them (57.6 %) babesia in erythrocytes were confirmed microscopically.

Download Full-text

A Multicentre Study on 100 Cases with Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura: The Role of Adamts-13 Activity and Anti-Adamts-13 Antibodies.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v104.11.2581.2581 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 104 (11) ◽

pp. 2581-2581

Author(s):

Flora Peyvandi ◽

Silvia Ferrari ◽

Silvia Lavoretano ◽

Maria T. Canciani ◽

Pier M. Mannucci

Keyword(s):

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura ◽

Base Pair ◽

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Elevated Serum ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Great Majority ◽

Molecular Forms ◽

Thrombocytopenic Purpura ◽

First Case ◽

Base Pair Deletion

Abstract Background: The metalloprotease ADAMTS-13 disposes physiologically of the unusually large molecular forms of the von Willebrand factor (VWF), that have the property to aggregate platelets in the microcirculation in the presence of high shear forces. The congenital or acquired deficiency of ADAMTS-13 has been specifically associated with a diagnosis of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a rare microangiopathy characterised by the massive formation of occlusive platelet thrombi in the microcirculation. Aim of the study: To investigate the pathogenic mechanism of TTP in 100 patients referred from 6 different countries and diagnosed on the basis of the presence of at least 3 of the followings laboratory abnormalities or clinical signs: thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, elevated serum level of lactadehydrogenase and neurological symptoms compatible with focal ischemia. Materials and methods: ADAMTS-13 levels were measured in all patients’ plasma by Collagen Binding assay as previously described (Gerritsen et al., Thromb Haemost 1999); anti-ADAMTS-13 neutralizing antibodies was measured only in patients with low ADAMTS-13 levels, whereas candidate gene mutations were searched only in patients who had low ADAMTS-13 levels (less than 20%) not explained by detectable anti-ADAMTS-13 antibodies, whether or not there was a family history of TTP. Results: Plasma levels of ADAMTS-13 were severely reduced (<10% of normal) in 48% of the cases, moderately reduced (between 10 and 46%) in 24% and normal (>46%) in 28%. An antibody was identified as the cause of the deficiency in 38% the cases: the great majority of the patients with detectable inhibitor (87%) had severe ADAMTS-13 deficiency but 5 (13%) had moderately reduced ADAMTS-13 activity (ranging from 11 to 25%). Mutation analysis of the ADAMTS13 gene, carried on 15 patients, revealed a genetic variant in only two patients born from consanguineous marriages. The first case was a double heterozygosity for a 29 base pair deletion in exon 3 (291–319del) and a single nucleotide insertion in exon 29 (4143insA). The 290–319del and 4143insA mutations lead to premature stops at codons 368 and 1387 respectively. The second one consisted in a homozygosity for a 6 base pair deletion in exon 23 (2930–2935del). This deletion leads to a substitution of Cys 977 by Trp, and a deletion of 2 aminoacids, Ala and Arg, at residues 978 and 979 respectively. Conclusion: The study of this large series of patients with TTP indicates that in nearly one third of patients ADAMTS-13 levels were normal. In more than half of the patients with low plasma level of the protease, ADAMTS-13 deficiency was not due to the presence of inactivating antibodies or gene abnormalities. An unexpected observation was that an inhibitor was also found in 5 patients with moderately reduced levels of ADAMTS-13.

Download Full-text

First outbreak and subsequent cases of Trypanosoma vivax in the state of Goiás, Brazil

Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia Veterinária ◽

10.1590/s1984-29612017019 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 366-371 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Thiago Souza Azeredo Bastos ◽

Adriana Marques Faria ◽

Darling Mélany de Carvalho Madrid ◽

Luciana Cardoso de Bessa ◽

Guido Fontgalland Coelho Linhares ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chemical Treatment ◽

The State ◽

Trypanosoma Vivax ◽

Chain Reactions ◽

Polymerase Chain Reactions ◽

First Case ◽

Blood Smears ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Iatrogenic Transmission ◽

The City

Abstract Trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma vivax has increased the reports in Brazil in the last decade. An outbreak is herein first reported in the state of Goiás, from May 2016 to January 2017. The outbreak start occurred in the city of Ipameri (Goiás) after the introduction of 18 auctioned cows from the state of Minas Gerais. Direct parasitological test (blood smears) and polymerase chain reactions targeting the catL genes diagnosed T. vivax infection. Fifty six cows from a herd of 161 were infected; 12 died during the outbreak and 44 animals persistently positive (by blood smears) even after chemical treatment were discarded. After this first case, five other cases were detected in state of Goiás. The spread of this disease can be linked to the commercialization of animals carrying T. vivax, allied to the iatrogenic transmission practice, using a single needle and syringe for all cows, during oxytocin administration before each milking.

Download Full-text

Hyperadrenocorticism Caused by a Pituitary Ganglioglioma in a Dog

Veterinary Pathology ◽

10.1177/0300985819829530 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 56 (4) ◽

pp. 609-613 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hirokazu Ishino ◽

Susumu Takekoshi ◽

Takahiro Teshima ◽

Kazuyuki Uchida ◽

Iwao Sakonju ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Benign Tumor ◽

Elevated Serum ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Careful Analysis ◽

Test Results ◽

First Case ◽

Contrast Enhanced ◽

Resected Tumor ◽

Adenoma Tissue ◽

Histopathologic Findings

An 11-year-old castrated male Chihuahua dog was presented with complaints of polyuria, polydipsia, abdominal enlargement, and alopecia. Hyperadrenocorticism was diagnosed on the basis of clinical signs, blood tests, adrenocorticotropin-stimulation test results, and an elevated serum adrenocorticotropin concentration. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging showed that the pituitary gland was enlarged, compatible with a pituitary macroadenoma. Pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism was suspected, and transsphenoidal hypophysectomy was thus performed for complete resection of the tumor. After surgery, the serum adrenocorticotropin concentration normalized and the hyperadrenocorticism resolved. Histological and immunocytochemical analyses revealed a benign tumor composed of mature neuronal cells and glial cells, suggestive of a ganglioglioma with immunolabeling for adrenocorticotropin. Careful analysis of the resected tumor revealed no pituitary adenoma tissue. The clinical and histopathologic findings indicated that the ganglioglioma was directly responsible for the hyperadrenocorticism. This is the first case of hyperadrenocorticism caused by a ganglioglioma in a dog.

Download Full-text

Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia Associated with Candidatus Mycoplasma Haematoparvum in a Splenectomized Dog in Italy

Acta veterinaria ◽

10.2478/acve-2020-0020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 70 (2) ◽

pp. 277-284

Author(s):

Zobba Rosanna ◽

Corda Andrea ◽

Ballocco Isabella ◽

Sotgiu Francesca ◽

Alberti Alberto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hemolytic Anemia ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Symptomatic Infection ◽

Laboratory Findings ◽

First Case ◽

Immune Mediated ◽

Blood Smears ◽

The University

AbstractThis report describes a case of canine hemotropic mycoplasmasosis by Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum in a dog. A five-year-old splenectomized dog was referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Sassari with clinical symptoms and laboratory findings compatible with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia. Epicellular bacteria were detected in the erythrocytes by microscopic examination of blood smears. PCR and sequencing were positive for Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum. Treatment with doxycycline, prednisolone and blood transfusion was administered. Several studies have described the molecular prevalence of M. hemocanis and Candidatus M. haematoparvum, however there are few clinical reports, especially those describing Candidatus M. haematoparvum infection in dogs, for which only two cases have been reported. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case report of a symptomatic infection caused by Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum in Italy. Hemoplasmosis should be considered as a potential cause of hemolytic anemia in dogs. Following treatment with doxycycline and prednisolone, the clinical signs improved without resolution of infection. This condition was the same at the three-year follow-up.

Download Full-text

Acute upper airway obstruction as a life-threatening complication of ventral bulla osteotomy: report of two consecutive cases

Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery Open Reports ◽

10.1177/20551169211005923 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 205511692110059

Author(s):

Michal Vlasin ◽

Richard Artingstall ◽

Barbora Mala

Keyword(s):

Airway Obstruction ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Upper Airway ◽

Upper Airway Obstruction ◽

Single Session ◽

Inflammatory Polyp ◽

Case Summary ◽

First Case ◽

Life Threatening

Case summary This paper presents two cases of acute postoperative upper airway obstruction following ventral bulla osteotomy (VBO) in cats. The first cat underwent a unilateral left-sided VBO for a suspected inflammatory polyp. The second cat underwent a single-session bilateral VBO procedure for bilateral otitis media. In the first case, immediate re-intubation and a gradual lightening of the anaesthetic plane resolved the clinical signs; in the second case, the patient deteriorated and went into acute cardiorespiratory arrest and received cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Both patients recovered well and were discharged home 3 days after surgery. Both cases were reported to show no further clinical signs on postoperative follow-up 3 weeks and 4 months after surgery, respectively. Relevance and novel information Upper airway obstruction should be regarded as a potential complication of VBO in cats.

Download Full-text

Endotoxemia and hepatic injury in a rodent model of hindlimb unloading

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/japplphysiol.00302.2003 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 95 (4) ◽

pp. 1656-1663 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

C. A. Rivera ◽

M. H. Tcharmtchi ◽

L. Mendoza ◽

C. W. Smith

Keyword(s):

Acute Phase ◽

Hepatic Injury ◽

Acute Phase Proteins ◽

Elevated Serum ◽

Hindlimb Unloading ◽

Low Grade ◽

Systemic Blood ◽

Blood Samples ◽

Amyloid A ◽

Organ Systems

Hindlimb unloading (HU) is known to induce physiological alterations in various organ systems that mimic some responses observed after exposure to microgravity. In the present study, the effects of up to 4 wk of HU on the liver were assessed in male Wistar rats and two mouse strains: endotoxin-sensitive C57BL/6 mice and endotoxin-resistant C3H/HEJ mice. Plasma levels of endotoxin, a known stimulator of hepatic injury, were measured in portal and systemic blood samples. Endotoxin was elevated by ∼50% in portal blood samples of mice and rats but was not detectable in systemic blood. This low-grade portal endotoxemia was associated with hepatic injury in rats and C57BL/6 mice as indicated by inflammation and elevated serum transaminase activities. Blood levels of the cytokine TNF-α were increased by ∼50% in C57BL/6 mice; no significant elevation of this cytokine was detected in rats. Messenger RNA levels of the acute-phase proteins serum amyloid A, haptoglobin, and lipopolysaccharide binding protein were significantly enhanced after 3 wk of HU in endotoxin-sensitive rodents. In contrast, no histological changes or significant increases in serum enzyme activity were detected after HU in C3H/HEJ mice despite portal endotoxin levels of 222 ± 83.4 pg/ml. At the 3-wk time point, expression of acute-phase proteins was not elevated in C3H/HEJ mice; however, expression after 4 wk of HU was similar to endotoxin-sensitive rodents. In conclusion, these findings indicate that HU induced mild portal endotoxemia, which contributed to the observed hepatic injury in endotoxin-sensitive rodents.

Download Full-text

Clinical Manifestations of Hemochromatosis inHFEC282Y Homozygotes Identified by Screening

Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology ◽

10.1155/2008/907356 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 22 (11) ◽

pp. 923-930 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Gordon D McLaren ◽

Christine E McLaren ◽

Paul C Adams ◽

James C Barton ◽

David M Reboussin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Iron Overload ◽

Serum Ferritin ◽

Elevated Serum ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Joint Stiffness ◽

Chronic Fatigue ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Wild Type ◽

Control Subjects

BACKGROUND: Patients with hemochromatosis may suffer organ damage from iron overload, often with serious clinical consequences.OBJECTIVE: To assess prevalences of self-reported symptoms and clinical signs and conditions in persons homozygous for the hemochromatosis gene (HFE)mutation (C282Y) identified by screening.METHODS: Participants were adults 25 years of age or older enrolled in the Hemochromatosis and Iron Overload Screening (HEIRS) Study. C282Y homozygotes (n=282) were compared with control participants without theHFEC282Y or H63D alleles (ie, wild type/wild type; n=364).RESULTS: Previously diagnosed C282Y homozygotes and newly diagnosed homozygotes with elevated serum ferritin levels had higher prevalences of certain symptoms such as chronic fatigue (OR 2.8; 95% CI 1.34 to 5.95, and OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.07 to 3.75, respectively), and had more hyperpigmentation on physical examination (OR 4.7; 95% CI 1.50 to 15.06, and OR 3.7; 95% CI 1.10 to 12.16, respectively) and swelling or tenderness of the second and third metacarpophalangeal joints (OR 4.2; 95% CI 1.37 to 13.03, and OR 3.3; 95% CI 1.17 to 9.49, respectively) than control subjects. Joint stiffness was also more common among newly diagnosed C282Y homozygotes with elevated serum ferritin than among control subjects (OR 2.7; 95% CI 1.38 to 5.30). However, the sex- and age-adjusted prevalences of self-reported symptoms and signs of liver disease, heart disease, diabetes and most other major clinical manifestations of hemochromatosis were similar in C282Y homozygotes and control subjects.CONCLUSIONS: Some symptoms and conditions associated with hemochromatosis were more prevalent among C282Y homozygotes identified by screening than among control subjects, but prevalences of most outcomes were similar in C282Y homozygotes and controls in this primary care-based study.

Download Full-text

Portland Cement Use in Dental Root Perforations: A Long Term Followup

Case Reports in Dentistry ◽

10.1155/2014/637693 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Álvaro Henrique Borges ◽

Matheus Coelho Bandeca ◽

Mateus Rodrigues Tonetto ◽

Luis Augusto Faitaroni ◽

Elibel Reginna de Siqueira Carvalho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Portland Cement ◽

Calcium Hydroxide ◽

Root Canal ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Signs And Symptoms ◽

Clinical Aspects ◽

Iatrogenic Perforation ◽

Root Canals ◽

First Case ◽

Clinical Signs And Symptoms

Root canal and furcal perforations are causes of endodontic therapy failure and different materials that stimulate tissue mineralization have been proposed for perforation treatment. In the first case, a patient presented tooth 46 with unsatisfactory endodontic treatment and a periapical radiographic lesion. A radiolucent area compatible with a perforating internal resorption cavity was found in the mesial root. The granulation tissue was removed, and root canals were prepared. The intracanal medication was composed of calcium hydroxide and the perforation cavity was filled with Portland cement. The 11-year followup showed radiographic repair of the tissue adjacent to the perforation and absence of clinical signs and symptoms or periapical lesion. In the second case, a patient presented with edema on the buccal surface of tooth 46. The examination showed a radiolucent area in the furcation region compatible with an iatrogenic perforation cavity. The mesial root canals were calcified, and only the distal root canal was prepared. The cavity was filled with a calcium hydroxide-based paste and the distal root canal was obturated. In sequence, the perforation cavity was filled with Portland cement. The 9-year followup showed the tooth in masticatory function with radiographic and clinical aspects compatible with normality.

Download Full-text

Unusual deletion of the maternal 11p15 allele in Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome with an impact on both imprinting domains

Clinical Epigenetics ◽

10.1186/s13148-021-01020-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Thomas Eggermann ◽

Matthias Begemann ◽

Lutz Pfeiffer

Keyword(s):

Clinical Signs ◽

Gene Content ◽

Paternal Inheritance ◽

Maternal Allele ◽

Heterozygous Deletion ◽

First Case ◽

Clinical Consequences ◽

Regulation Mechanisms ◽

Silver Russell Syndrome ◽

Deletion Carrier

Abstract Background Whereas duplications in 11p15.5 covering both imprinting centers (ICs) and their subordinated genes account for up to 1% of Beckwith–Wiedemann and Silver–Russell syndrome patients (BWS, SRS), the deletions in 11p15.5 reported so far only affect one of the ICs. In these cases, not only the size and gene content had an impact on the phenotype, but also the sex of the contributing parent influences the clinical signs of the deletion carrier. Results We here report on the first case with a heterozygous deletion within the maternal allele affecting genes which are regulated by both ICs in 11p15.5 in a BWS patient, and describe the molecular and clinical consequences in case of its maternal or paternal inheritance. Conclusions The identification of a unique deletion affecting both 11p15.5 imprinting domains in a BWS patient illustrates the complexity of the regulation mechanisms in these key imprinting regions.

Download Full-text