Sofie Maes

Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum in inflammatory bowel disease

Objective Many species within the phylum Firmicutes are thought to exert anti-inflammatory effects. We quantified bacteria belonging to the genus Butyricicoccus in stools of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohns disease (CD). We evaluated the effect of Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum in a rat colitis model and analysed the ability to prevent cytokine-induced increases in epithelial permeability. Design A genus-specific quantitative PCR was used for quantification of Butyricicoccus in stools from patients with UC or CD and healthy subjects. The effect of B pullicaecorum on trinitrobenzenesulfonic (TNBS)-induced colitis was assessed and the effect of B pullicaecorum culture supernatant on epithelial barrier function was investigated in vitro. Results The average number of Butyricicoccus in stools from patients with UC and CD in active (UC: 8.61 log10/g stool; CD: 6.58 log10/g stool) and remission phase (UC: 8.69 log10/g stool; CD: 8.38 log10/g stool) was significantly lower compared with healthy subjects (9.32 log10/g stool) and correlated with disease activity in CD. Oral administration of B pullicaecorum resulted in a significant protective effect based on macroscopic and histological criteria and decreased intestinal myeloperoxidase (MPO), tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin (IL)-12 levels. Supernatant of B pullicaecorum prevented the loss of transepithelial resistance (TER) and the increase in IL-8 secretion induced by TNFα and interferon γ (IFN gamma) in a Caco-2 cell model. Conclusions Patients with inflammatory bowel disease have lower numbers of Butyricicoccus bacteria in their stools. Administration of B pullicaecorum attenuates TNBS-induced colitis in rats and supernatant of B pullicaecorum cultures strengthens the epithelial barrier function by increasing the TER.

Haemorrhagic diathesis in neonatal calves: an emerging syndrome in Europe.

In 2008 and 2009 a large number of cases of haemorrhagic diathesis (HD) in neonatal calves were reported in different European countries. In Flanders, 84 cases of neonatal HD in 30 herds were reported in this period. The disease typically affects calves younger than 1 month old from different breed and gender. Prominent clinical signs are cutaneous bleeding, petechiae on all mucosae, melena and often high fever. Early in the disease, the mental state of the animals is uncompromised. The typical haematological finding is pancytopenia, with severe to complete thrombocytopenia being the cause of the increased susceptibility to bleeding. In seven of the affected herds blood samples of calves of the same age group as the clinical case were collected and on six of those farms at least one subclinical case could be identified. Necropsy findings were generalized petechiae, ecchymoses or haemorrhages and variable lymphadenopathy. Histopathology of haemorrhagic lesions revealed multifocal extravasation of red blood cells (haemorrhage) with preservation of tissue architecture and absence of other abnormalities. Total bone marrow aplasia and depletion of all lymphoid tissue was the most prominent finding on histology. Activated macrophages and haemophagocytosis were seen on bone marrow cytology from two live calves. Polymerase chain reaction for bovine viral diarrhoea virus, bluetongue and epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus was negative. Several attempts to isolate a viral agent were unsuccessful.

Equine epidermis: a source of epithelial-like stem/progenitor cells with in vitro and in vivo regenerative capacities.

Besides the presence of somatic stem cells in hair follicles and dermis, the epidermis also contains a subpopulation of stem cells, reflecting its high regenerative capacity. However, only limited information concerning epidermis-derived epithelial-like stem/progenitor cells (EpSCs) is available to date. Nonetheless, this stem cell type could prove itself useful in skin reconstitution after injury. After harvesting from equine epidermis, the purified cells were characterized as EpSCs by means of positive expression for CD29, CD44, CD49f, CD90, Casein Kinase 2β, p63, and Ki67, low expression for cytokeratin (CK)14 and negative expression for CD105, CK18, Wide CK, and Pan CK. Furthermore, their self-renewal capacity was assessed in adhesion as well as in suspension. Moreover, the isolated cells were differentiated toward keratinocytes and adipocytes. To assess the regenerative capacities of EpSCs, six full-thickness skin wounds were made: three were treated with EpSCs and platelet-rich-plasma (EpSC/PRP-treated), while the remaining three were administered carrier fluid alone (PRP-treated). The dermis of EpSC/PRP-treated wounds was significantly thinner and exhibited more restricted granulation tissue than did the PRP-treated wounds. The EpSC/PRP-treated wounds also exhibited increases in EpSCs, vascularization, elastin content, and follicle-like structures. In addition, combining EpSCs with a PRP treatment enhanced tissue repair after clinical application.

Children’s experiences and meaning construction on parental divorce: A focus group study

The global aim of this study was to explore children’s narratives of parental divorce. A convenience sample, composed of 11- and 14-year-old children, was recruited. A total of 22 children (12 male, 10 female) participated in this focus group study. The findings show that two components seem to be really important for children during the divorce process: the ability to construct meaning about their parents’ decision to divorce and their feeling to count in the process of family transition. Children expressed the need for an explanation about why parents decided to divorce and wanted to matter with regard to the decisions on their post-divorce living arrangements.

Uterine fibrosarcoma in a Warmblood mare.

This paper describes a case of uterine fibrosarcoma in an 18-year-old Warmblood mare. The mare had exhibited bloody fluid accumulation inside the uterus and vaginal haemorrhagic discharge since the previous foaling. The mare was euthanized, and on pathological examination, in addition to the uterine neoplasia, multiple metastases were found in the lungs, liver and spleen. The histological and immunohistochemical examination determined that the tumour was a fibrosarcoma. To our knowledge, this is the first paper to describe a uterine fibrosarcoma in a mare.

Isolation of a Clonal Population of Clostridium perfringens type A from a Belgian Blue Calf with Abomasal Ulceration

A case of abomasal ulceration in a 3-month-old Belgian Blue calf is described. Microscopical examination revealed the ulcers to be demarcated by a band of neutrophilic inflammation that separated underlying healthy tissue from the superficial fibrinous necrotic material in which bacteria were present. Clostridium perfringens type A was isolated from multiple ulcers and from the intestinal contents of the animal and pulsed field gel electrophoresis confirmed that the isolates comprised a genetically clonal population.

Oesophageal paresis associated with bluetongue virus serotype 8 in cattle

BLUETONGUE is an arthropod-borne disease of domestic and wild ruminants ([MacLachlan 1994][1]). In 2006, a major outbreak of bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) occurred in northern Europe ([Toussaint and others 2006][2]). The clinical signs most frequently associated with BTV-8 in cattle reported