Aki Ohmi

Time–course monitoring of serum amyloid A in a cat with pancreatitis

Time-course changes in the concentration of serum amyloid A (SAA), a major acute phase protein, were measured in a cat with pancreatitis over an 831-day period and compared with changes in WBC count and feline trypsin-like immunoreactivity (fTLI). SAA concentration was increased at the onset of the disease and gradually decreased over 5 days of treatment with an improvement in the clinical condition. In contrast, fTLI concentration and WBC count were not increased at the onset of the disease but increased gradually during the 5 days of treatment. Long-term monitoring from days 68 to 831 revealed a good correlation between SAA concentration and the reoccurrence of clinical signs in the cat; however, WBC count did not increase even with the exacerbation of disease. These findings suggest that the SAA concentration may be a useful marker for evaluating response to treatment and disease exacerbation in feline pancreatitis.

Efficacy of leflunomide for treatment of refractory inflammatory colorectal polyps in 15 Miniature Dachshunds.

Inflammatory colorectal polyp (ICRP), common in miniature dachshunds, presents with hematochezia, tenesmus and mucoid feces. Although an 80% response rate has been reported when treated with prednisolone and cyclosporine, effective treatment is needed for the remaining 20% of ICRP dogs. Leflunomide is an immunosuppressive drug reported as effective in several immune-mediated diseases. In the present study, we retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and adverse effects of leflunomide in 15 ICRP dogs that were refractory to treatment with prednisolone and cyclosporine. Treatment efficacy was assessed by endoscopy, clinical symptoms and rectal palpation. Adverse effects were determined by clinical symptoms and blood testing during follow-up. The leflunomide treatment response rate was 93.3%. The median dosage of leflunomide and the median response time were 3 mg/kg (range: 1.7–4.0 mg/kg) and 35 days (range: 20–119 days), respectively. Adverse effects observed included lethargy (3 dogs), anorexia (1 dog), respiratory symptoms (1 dog), leukocytopenia (2 dogs), thrombocytopenia (1 dog), anemia (1 dog) and liver enzyme elevation (8 dogs). Most of the adverse effects improved with symptomatic treatment and leflunomide discontinuation or dosage reduction. In conclusion, leflunomide treatment is effective in ICRP dogs refractory to treatment with prednisolone and cyclosporine. Because several adverse effects were observed, close monitoring is needed during leflunomide treatment follow-up.

Significance of clonal rearrangements of lymphocyte antigen receptor genes on the prognosis of chronic enteropathy in 22 Shiba dogs

Shiba dogs are predisposed to chronic enteropathy (CE) and have poorer prognosis than other dog breeds. The objective of this study was to investigate the significance of polymerase chain reaction for antigen receptor rearrangement (PARR) results on clinical findings and prognosis of Shiba dogs with CE. We retrospectively collected data on 22 Shiba dogs diagnosed as having CE. Fifty-nine percent of the dogs had clonality-positive results on PARR analysis. Furthermore, on histopathology, epitheliotropic behavior of small lymphocytes of the intestinal mucosa was observed significantly more frequently in dogs with clonal rearrangement of antigen receptor genes (P=0.027). The median overall survival time of clonality-positive dogs was 48 days (range, 4–239 days), compared to 271 days (range, 45–1,316+ days) in clonality-negative dogs. The median overall survival time of epitheliotropism-positive dogs was 76 days (range, 30–349 days) compared to 239 days (range, 4–1,316+ days) for epitheliotropism-negative dogs. Statistical analysis revealed that the clonality-positive result was associated with significantly shorter survival time (P=0.036). In contrast, presence or absence of epitheliotropism had no statistically significant effect on survival time (P=0.223). These cases might appropriately be diagnosed as small T-cell intestinal lymphoma; there are some common clinical and pathogenic features with human enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma type 2. The pathogenesis and poor prognosis for Shiba dogs with CE seem to be associated with this type of lymphoma, although further investigation is warranted.

Clinical and clinicopathological characteristics of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in six cats: Characteristics of feline ALL

OBJECTIVES To investigate the clinical characteristics of feline acute lymphoblastic leukaemia patients diagnosed according to the recent diagnostic criteria for the equivalent canine condition. MATERIALS AND METHODS The medical records of six cats diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia were retrospectively reviewed to extract data on clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes. The lymphoid origin of the tumour cells was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction for antigen receptor gene rearrangement, flow cytometry or immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Non-specific clinical signs such as lethargy and anorexia were common, and anaemia and thrombocytopenia were also commonly identified. Leucocytosis was observed in four cats and leucopenia was observed in two; the number of lymphoblasts in the peripheral blood samples varied among the cases. Lymphoblasts originated from B-cell lineage in four cats and T-cell lineage in one, and those of another cat were positive for both B-cell marker CD21 and T-cell marker CD8. Five of the six cats were treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy, and a partial response was obtained in two. The median overall survival was 55 days (range: 1 to 115). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia should be considered if lymphoblasts are observed in peripheral blood, even if their number is small. The prognosis for cats that have acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is as poor as that for dogs, and further studies are needed to develop effective treatment.

A New Stubby Species of Demodectic Mite (Acari: Demodicidae) From the Domestic Dog (Canidae)

Abstract A new species of Demodex was detected in the earwax of a dog with otitis externa in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, in July 2010. The opisthosoma length of the mite was slightly shorter than 1/2 of its body length, which was different from the other species in domestic dogs, D. canis and D. injai, but was similar to the form of mites termed “short-bodied species”, including D. cornei. However, the stubby external form was morphologically different from those of “short-bodied species”, excluding a case without a species description reported from Greece. Among known species, the mite was similar to D. equi and D. acutipes.