Serum/Faecal S100A12, CRP and lactoferrin can be used to distinguish ınfectious and non-ınfectious canine diarrhoea

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacies of selected inflammatory and intestinal biomarkers in cases of infectious and non-infectious diarrhoea in dogs.

METHODS

A total of 60 dogs, 12 healthy (Control Group) and 48 with diarrhoea were used. Viral, Bacterial, Parasitic (infectious) and Nutritional diarrhoea (non-infectious) subgroups (n: 12) were formed according to the aetiology, on the basis of clinical and laboratory examinations. Selected inflammatory and intestinal biomarkers (Calgranulin, S100A12; Lactoferrin, LCTF; C-reactive protein, CRP) were measured both in serum and faecal samples.

RESULTS

Compared to the Control and Nutritional Diarrhoea groups, the infectious diarrhoea groups had higher serum S100A12, LCTF, CRP, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine (CR), alanine transaminase and alkaline phosphatase, and lower glucose (GLU), sodium (Na) and potassium (K) concentrations (p < 0.05); Viral and Parasitic Diarrhoea groups had lower serum albumin (ALB) and total protein (TP) concentrations (p < 0.05). Faecal S100A12, LCTF and CRP concentrations were higher in infectious diarrhoea groups compared to the Control and Nutritional Diarrhoea groups (p < 0.05). Faecal LCTF and CRP concentrations were higher in the Bacterial Diarrhoea group than in the Viral and Parasitic Diarrhoea groups (p < 0.05).

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

It was determined that serum (area under curve, AUC: 0.842 and 0.956) and faecal (AUC: 0.975 and 0.786) S100A12 and CRP concentrations in viral diarrhoea; serum (AUC: 0.956) and faecal (AUC: 0.992) LCTF concentrations in bacterial diarrhoea have diagnostic values in the diagnosis of the presence of intestinal inflammation and damage and can be used in the differential diagnosis of infectious and non-infectious diarrhoea.

Association of folate concentrations with clinical signs and laboratory markers of chronic enteropathy in dogs

BACKGROUND

Serum folate is considered a biomarker of chronic enteropathy (CE) in dogs, but few studies have examined associations with markers of CE.

HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES

To evaluate serum folate concentrations in dogs with and without CE and associations with sample hemolysis and selected markers of CE. We hypothesized that hypofolatemia would be more common in dogs with CE and associated with hypocobalaminemia, higher CIBDAI, and hypoalbuminemia.

ANIMALS

Six hundred seventy-three dogs with available serum folate measurements performed at an academic veterinary hospital between January 2016 and December 2019.

METHODS

Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to categorize cases as CE or non-CE and record clinical details and laboratory markers. Relationships between serum folate, cobalamin, and CE variables were assessed using chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, or Spearman's correlation tests.

RESULTS

Of the 673 dogs, 99 CE were compared to 95 non-CE. In the overall cohort, serum folate concentration did not correlate with sample hemolysis (P = .75). In the CE subset, serum folate and cobalamin concentrations were positively associated (rho = 0.34, FDR = 0.02). However, serum folate concentrations (median [25th, 75th percentiles]) were higher (CE: 12.1 (8.9, 16.1), non-CE: 10.4 (7.2, 15.5); P = .04) and cobalamin concentrations were lower (CE: 343 (240, 597), non-CE: 550 (329, 749); P = .001) in the CE vs non-CE group. Serum folate was not associated with markers of CE, but serum cobalamin was associated with albumin (P = .04) and cholesterol (P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE

Hypofolatemia is an inferior biomarker of CE compared to hypocobalaminemia.

An endoscopic and histopathological assessment and correlation of endoscopic score with clinical activity index (CIBDAI) in the diagnosis of canine idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease

Background

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in dogs is often characterized by a relapsing and remitting clinical course. Determination of inflammatory activity is important for assessing the disease extent, severity, and tailoring appropriate treatment.

Aims

The study was conducted to record the macroscopic and microscopic changes associated with IBD to assess the usefulness of endoscopy in the diagnosis of the disease and to correlate the clinical activity index (CIBDAI) with endoscopic score.

Methods

Thirty-three dogs with idiopathic IBD were selected after thorough examination and exclusion. Gastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy were performed to document the gross macroscopic intestinal lesions. Histopathology of endoscopic aided biopsy samples was used to confirm the disease.

Results

Mucosal erythema and increased friability were the most predominant endoscopic findings in the stomach, duodenum, and colon of IBD dogs. Lymphoplasmacytic infiltration was predominant in the mucosal samples on histopathology and diffuse form of IBD is more common in canines. Gastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy in combination with endoscopically guided biopsy and histopathology are of value in the assessment and diagnosis of IBD. There was no correlation between the clinical inflammatory bowel disease activity index (CIBDAI) with the endoscopic score.

Conclusion

A diffuse form of IBD and colitis is more common in dogs in comparison to human IBD where the disease manifests in two distinct forms. Colonoscopy with ileal biopsy could act as a gold standard in the confirmation of diffuse IBD in dogs. CIBDAI can be used as a reliable measure of clinical signs of inflammation and histopathology can be used as a definitive diagnosis of intestinal inflammation.

Clinical characteristics of dogs with food-responsive protein-losing enteropathy

Background

In dogs with protein‐losing enteropathy (PLE), data on the clinical characteristics of food‐responsive PLE (FR‐PLE) remain scarce.

Objective

To determine the clinical characteristics of FR‐PLE in dogs responsive to ultralow‐fat diet (ULFD) management.

Animals

Thirty‐three dogs diagnosed with PLE based on standard diagnostic criteria.

Methods

Retrospective review of medical records. Clinical findings were compared between dogs with FR‐PLE (FR‐PLE group) and those with immunosuppressant‐responsive PLE (IR‐PLE) or nonresponsive PLE (NR‐PLE) (IR/NR‐PLE group). The area under the curve (AUC) of a receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the ability of factors to differentiate the FR‐PLE and IR/NR‐PLE groups. Survival time was compared between the FR‐PLE and IR/NR‐PLE groups.

Results

Twenty‐three dogs responded to ULFD management and were diagnosed with FR‐PLE. The canine chronic enteropathy clinical activity index (CCECAI) was significantly lower in the FR‐PLE group than in the IR/NR‐PLE group (P < .001). The AUC of CCECAI for differentiating the FR‐PLE group was 0.935 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.845‐1.000) with an optimal cutoff value of 8 (sensitivity, 0.826; specificity, 0.889). Survival times were significantly longer in the FR‐PLE group (median, not reached) than in the IR/NR‐PLE group (median, 432 days; P < .001).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Dogs that respond to ULFD management and are diagnosed with FR‐PLE are expected to have a favorable prognosis. Clinical scores, specifically the CCECAI, could be useful for differentiating FR‐PLE from IR‐PLE or NR‐PLE.

Randomized, controlled trial evaluating the effect of multi-strain probiotic on the mucosal microbiota in canine idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease

The intestinal microbiota is increasingly linked to the pathogenesis of idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in dogs. While studies have reported alterations in fecal (luminal) microbial populations, only limited information is available about the mucosal microbiota of IBD dogs at diagnosis and following medical therapy. Our aim was to characterize the mucosal microbiota and determine the clinical, microbiological, and mucosal homeostatic effects of probiotic treatment in dogs with IBD. Thirty four IBD dogs were randomized to receive standard therapy (ST = diet + prednisone) with or without probiotic. Tissue sections from endoscopic biopsies were evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on a quantifiable basis. Disease activity and changes in mucosal microbiota and tight junction protein (TJP) expression were assessed before and after 8 weeks of IBD therapy. ST and ST/probiotic therapy modulated the number of mucosal bacteria of IBD dogs in a similar fashion. Both treatments increased the numbers of total bacteria and individual species residing within adherent mucus, with ST therapy increasing Bifidobacterium spp. and ST/probiotic therapy increasing Lactobacillus spp (P < 0.05 for both), respectively. Both treatments were associated with rapid clinical remission but not improvement in histopathologic inflammation. Probiotic therapy was associated with upregulated (P < 0.05) expression of TJPs E-cadherin, occludin, and zonulin versus ST. The probiotic effect on mucosal bacteria is similar to that of IBD dogs receiving ST. IBD dogs fed probiotic had increased TJP expression suggesting that probiotic may have beneficial effects on mucosal homeostasis.

Rifaximin is an effective alternative to metronidazole for the treatment of chronic enteropathy in dogs: a randomised trial

Background

A clinical trial was conducted in order to assess the efficacy of rifaximin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic with negligible gastrointestinal absorption, in comparison with metronidazole, a commonly employed antimicrobial drug, in dogs with chronic enteropathy. Twenty-four pet dogs were randomly enrolled into two different groups: MET group (10 dogs) and RIF group (14 dogs). Dogs of MET group received metronidazole 15 mg/kg q12h for 21 days by oral route, whereas dogs of RIF group, were given rifaximin 25 mg/kg q12h for 21 days by oral route. Clinical signs of disease were evaluated the day before the beginning of drug administration (D0), and at the end of treatment (D21), by means of Canine IBD Activity Index (CIBDAI). Blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) at D0 and D21 were also measured, as another parameter of treatment efficacy. The primary outcome measure of efficacy was the complete remission at D21, defined as a 75 % or greater decrease of CIBDAI; secondary outcome measures were the variation of mean CIBDAI scores, of mean CRP serum levels, and any observed adverse effect from D0 to D21.

Results

Treatment with metronidazole or rifaximin greatly improved the clinical signs of disease in each group: in MET group the complete remission was achieved in 8 of 10 dogs (80.0 %), and partial remission in 2 subjects (20.0 %). In RIF group, 12 of 14 dogs showed complete remission (85.7 %), and the remaining 2 dogs were in partial remission (14.3 %). There were also significant decreases of CIBDAI scores (P = 0.002 and P = 0.0002 for MET and RIF, respectively), and CRP levels (P = 0.002 and P = 0.0001 for MET and RIF, respectively) compared to pre-treatment values in both groups. No significant difference, however, was found when comparing MET and RIF groups. No relevant side-effect was reported during the trial with either drugs.

Conclusions

The present study showed, for the first time, that oral rifaximin could represent an effective alternative to metronidazole for the induction of clinical remission in dogs with chronic enteropathy.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12917-016-0851-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Oral chondroitin sulfate and prebiotics for the treatment of canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease: a randomized, controlled clinical trial

Background

Canine inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic enteropathy of unknown etiology, although microbiome dysbiosis, genetic susceptibility, and dietary and/or environmental factors are hypothesized to be involved in its pathogenesis. Since some of the current therapies are associated with severe side effects, novel therapeutic modalities are needed. A new oral supplement for long-term management of canine IBD containing chondroitin sulfate (CS) and prebiotics (resistant starch, β-glucans and mannaoligosaccharides) was developed to target intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress, and restore normobiosis, without exhibiting any side effects. This double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in dogs with IBD aims to evaluate the effects of 180 days administration of this supplement together with a hydrolyzed diet on clinical signs, intestinal histology, gut microbiota, and serum biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress.

Results

Twenty-seven client-owned biopsy-confirmed IBD dogs were included in the study, switched to the same hydrolyzed diet and classified into one of two groups: supplement and placebo. Initially, there were no significant differences between groups (p > 0.05) for any of the studied parameters. Final data analysis (supplement: n = 9; placebo: n = 10) showed a significant decrease in canine IBD activity index (CIBDAI) score in both groups after treatment (p < 0.001). After treatment, a significant decrease (1.53-fold; p < 0.01) in histologic score was seen only in the supplement group. When groups were compared, the supplement group showed significantly higher serum cholesterol (p < 0.05) and paraoxonase-1 (PON1) levels after 60 days of treatment (p < 0.01), and the placebo group showed significantly reduced serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels after 120 days (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found between groups at any time point for CIBDAI, WSAVA histologic score and fecal microbiota evaluated by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). No side effects were reported in any group.

Conclusions

The combined administration of the supplement with hydrolyzed diet over 180 days was safe and induced improvements in selected serum biomarkers, possibly suggesting a reduction in disease activity. This study was likely underpowered, therefore larger studies are warranted in order to demonstrate a supplemental effect to dietary treatment of this supplement on intestinal histology and CIBDAI.