Veterinary Clinical Pathology

Abstract:Tilapia are a commonly aquacultured fish yet little is known about their normal physiology and response to disease. In this study we determined the results of complete hematologic (n = 40) and plasma biochemical profiles (n = 63) in production tilapia (Oreochromishybrids). The fish were raised in recirculating systems with a high stocking density (120 g/L), and were in the middle of a 15‐month production cycle. Blood was analyzed using standard techniques, and reference intervals were determined using nonparametric methods. Non‐production tilapia (n = 15) from low‐density tanks (4 g/L) also were sampled; the clinical chemistry results were compared to reference intervals from the fish raised in high‐density tanks. Differences were noted in plasma protein, calcium and phosphorus concentrations, such that reference intervals for high‐density production tilapia were not applicable to fish raised under different environmental and management conditions.

Tổng quan: Haptoglobin và serum amyloid A là các protein pha cấp chính ở bò. Bò sữa thường phát triển các tình trạng bệnh lý trong giai đoạn quanh sinh; các protein pha cấp có thể hữu ích trong chẩn đoán bệnh của chúng. Mục tiêu: Mục đích của nghiên cứu này là so sánh độ chính xác của nồng độ haptoglobin huyết thanh (Hp) và amyloid A huyết thanh (SAA) với tình trạng sức khỏe lâm sàng để chẩn đoán bệnh trong giai đoạn quanh sinh ở bò sữa. Phương pháp: Bò sữa từ 4 đàn bò đã được đánh giá mỗi 15 ngày trong suốt 6 tháng. Tình trạng sức khỏe được xác định thông qua thăm khám lâm sàng kỹ lưỡng. Nồng độ Haptoglobin và SAA được đo trong huyết thanh bằng các phương pháp đã được kiểm chứng và kết quả được phân loại là dương tính hoặc âm tính dựa trên các ngưỡng cắt đã được xác định. Tỷ lệ mắc bệnh, độ nhạy và độ đặc hiệu đã được so sánh sử dụng thăm khám lâm sàng như tiêu chuẩn vàng. Kết quả: Tổng cộng 1896 mẫu từ 158 con bò được phân tích. Sự gia tăng đáng kể nồng độ trung bình Hp và SAA được quan sát thấy trong tuần sau sinh ở cả bò đẻ lứa đầu và bò đẻ nhiều lứa, mặc dù có sự biến đổi cá nhân cao. Cả Hp và SAA đều có độ nhạy thấp nhưng độ đặc hiệu cao hơn trong xác định bệnh so với thăm khám lâm sàng. Nồng độ Hp và SAA tăng cao được tìm thấy trong <10% mẫu từ các con bò khỏe mạnh về mặt lâm sàng, ngoại trừ trong tuần sau sinh. Kết luận: Haptoglobin và amyloid A huyết thanh nên được sử dụng cẩn thận như các dấu hiệu của viêm trong tuần sau đẻ. Độ nhạy kém trong các giai đoạn hậu sinh sản khác có thể liên quan đến tỷ lệ viêm mãn tính (so với cấp tính) cao hơn. Haptoglobin có thể phù hợp cho sàng lọc định kỳ, nhưng cần thêm nghiên cứu để đánh giá giá trị của nó như một chỉ số về sức khỏe đàn bò. (Vet Clin Pathol. 2006;35:000–000)

Background: Hematologic and biochemical reference intervals depend on many factors, including environment and age. Reference intervals for Norwegian grower pigs are lacking, and previously published reference intervals for similar pigs from other countries are now outdated due to significant changes in management and breeding on the pig farms.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine updated reference intervals for hematologic and biochemical analytes in healthy crossbred grower pigs, and to compare the results among 3 different farms.

Methods: Blood samples were collected from 104 clinically healthy pigs of the most common Norwegian crossbreed (Landrace Yorkshire sow × Landrace Duroc boar). The pigs were 12–16 weeks old, weighed 30–50 kg, of both sexes, and lived on 3 farms in eastern Norway. Automated hematologic and biochemical analysis were performed using ADVIA 2120 and ADVIA 1650 analyzers.

Results: Five samples were excluded because of hemolysis (1) or outliers (4). Reference intervals were calculated using parametric or nonparametric methods, depending on data distribution. Mean, median, minimum, and maximum values were tabulated.

Conclusions: The reference intervals calculated in this study will be useful for the diagnosis and monitoring of disease in this widespread crossbreed pig. Compared with previously published reference values, reference intervals for total WBC count, creatine kinase and alanine aminotransferase activities, and albumin, bilirubin, and urea concentrations in this study differed notably.

The differential leukocyte counts performed by an automated hematology analyzer, the Technicon H‐1E Hematology System, and traditional microscopic method (M‐Diff) from blood samples of 129 horses, 40 cattle, and 140 cats were compared. The comparison was repeated after selected subsets of data were created by deleting samples with certain patterns suggesting error with the automated differential cell count (A‐Diff). The two methods had good comparison of results for neutrophils and lymphocytes in all three species. Results for equine monocytes correlated moderately well between the two methods and the correlation improved in the selected data set. Monocyte results did not compare well for the bovine and feline samples. The A‐Diff for feline eosinophils was inaccurate. The A‐Diff may be accurate for bovine and equine eosinophils but too few examples of eosinophilia were present in the sample set to prove this. Basophils were too rarely seen in cattle and horses to validate A‐Diff accuracy, but basophilia identified by the M‐Diff in a cat was not identified by the A‐Diff.

Abstract: An 8‐year‐old intact male mongrel dog with alopecia and weight loss was referred to the Veterinary Faculty of Naples. The dog had pale mucous membranes, enlarged prescapular lymph nodes, and splenomegaly. Laboratory abnormalities included anemia, thrombocytopenia, and hyperglobulinemia. Bone marrow aspirate smears contained numerous Leishmania amastigotes and an immunofluorescent antibody titer was strongly positive (1:1280) for leishmaniasis. The dog was treated with a combination of meglumine antimoniate and allopurinol for 60 days and showed clinical improvement. Two months after the end of treatment the dog was again referred because of relapse of leishmaniasis and the presence of a firm subcutaneous mass on the medial right thigh. Based on cytologic examination of fine needle aspirates of the mass, a diagnosis of large‐cell lymphoma was made. Flow cytometry of tumor cells revealed γδ‐T‐cell lymphoma with a CD5+, CD3+, TCRγδ+, CD4−, CD8−, CD45RA+ immunophenotype. Using nested PCR, amastigotes were not detected in the neoplastic tissue. An association between leishmaniasis and hematopoietic tumors has been described rarely. γδ‐T cells may be involved in the host response to this parasite, and prolonged antigenic stimulation and chronic immunosuppression (typical of leishmaniasis) play a crucial role in the etiopathogenesis of T‐cell lymphoma.

An automated, multi‐channel blood cell counting system (S‐Plus) was compared to a reference counting system using blood samples from 187 animals of four species. The standard red cell bath aperture current of 150 volts (V) was used during analysis of 75% of the samples. At this setting, all samples with a Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) greater than 50 fl had accurate erythrocyte counts. As the MCV decreased below 50 fl, the severity of false low erythrocyte counts and false high MCV values increased. The remaining 25% of samples were analyzed with the red cell bath aperture current increased to 200 V. At this setting, only 5% or less of erythrocytes from animals with normal MCV values (>36 fl) were below the erythrocyte threshold. The red cell distribution width values provided by the S‐Plus indicated that equine and bovine erythrocytes have greater anisocytosis than canine and feline erythrocytes. Leukocyte counts were significantly lower on the S‐Plus (p < 0.01). Canine and equine samples most frequently had platelet size distribution within the S‐Plus platelet counting threshold window. Electronic whole blood platelet counting appeared unsatisfactory in cats due to large platelet size and erythrocyte‐platelet size overlap. Small platelet size in cattle indicated that further modifications of the red cell bath aperture current would be required to count and size platelets in this species. Following electronic modifications, this state‐of‐the‐art system appears adaptable to hematologic profiling in most species.

Four automated blood cell counting systems were evaluated at the Michigan State University Veterinary Clinical Center (VCC) for their suitability for analyzing various animals' blood in a university teaching hospital laboratory. The instruments were compared to a Coulter Model S‐Senior (Coulter Electronics) which had been used for 8 years, and was to be replaced. The instruments were a Coulter Model S‐Plus IV, an Ortho ELT‐8/ds (Ortho Diagnostics Systems), a Technicon H‐1 (Technicon Instruments), and a Sysmex E‐5,000 (Toa Medical Electronics). Additionally, an Ortho ELT‐8/ws at a private laboratory (Cenvet) was compared to the Coulter S—Senior at the VCC.

Based on these evaluations, only the Sysmex E‐5,000 was considered unacceptable for the VCC laboratory. Certain advantages and disadvantages of the instruments are described in this article. The comparisons a‐mong instruments were not as consistent or repetitive as expected for a controlled experiment but did provide information likely useful to others considering using or purchasing an automated blood cell counting system for a veterinary laboratory.