Intramural and subserosal echogenic foci on US in large-bowel intussusceptions: prognostic indicator for reducibility?

BACKGROUND: In large-bowel intussusceptions, several US signs are known to indicate a lower likelihood of reducibility by enema. US can demonstrate echogenic dots or lines (foci) in the bowel wall, which might indicate an ischemic bowel. OBJECTIVE: To determine the presence of echogenic intramural and subserosal foci in large-bowel intussusceptions and to evaluate the degree of correlation with reducibility. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2001 and 2008, 74 consecutive US examinations were retrospectively evaluated by two pediatric radiologists for intramural and subserosal echogenic foci, or trapped gas, in the intussusception. The degree of correlation between the sonographic findings and reducibility was evaluated. RESULTS: Of 73 intussusceptions examined by US, 56 (76%) were reducible and 17 (23%) were not reducible. Out of 10 intussusceptions with intramural gas, 11 with subserosal gas, and 14 with intramural and subserosal gas, 8 (80%), 6 (56%), 9 (64%), respectively, were not reducible. The presence of intramural gas or subserosal gas or both predicted a lower chance of reduction, but with regard to the effect of these findings together, intramural gas was the only significant predictor. CONCLUSION: Having intramural gas in large-bowel intussusception significantly decreases the chance of reduction.

Myoglobin as a prognostic indicator for outcome in dogs with gastric dilatation-volvulus

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether myoglobin (Mb) is a useful prognostic indicator for outcome and to investigate any relationship between Mb and mortality in dogs with gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV). DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Veterinary teaching hospital. ANIMALS: Seventy-two dogs with GDV. INTERVENTIONS: Blood sampling. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Mb levels were measured at the time of diagnosis (Mbt0), 24 hours (Mbt1), and 48 hours (Mbt2) after signs of GDV were recognized. Fifty-seven dogs survived (group I) and 15 dogs did not survive (group II). Mbt0 differed significantly between groups (P=0.04). Mbt0 in group I ranged from <30 to >700 ng/mL (n=57, median 74 ng/mL), and in group II from 34 to >700 ng/mL (n=15, median 238 ng/mL). Analysis of a receiver operating characteristic curve of Mbt0 suggested that the best single cutpoint would be 168 ng/mL (sensitivity 60.0%, specificity 84.2%). Fifty percent of dogs with Mbt0>168 ng/mL were euthanized, while 88.9% with Mbt0<168 ng/mL survived. Mbt1 and Mbt2 differed significantly between groups I and II. Mbt1 in group I ranged from 32 to >700 ng/mL (n=55, median 123 ng/mL), and Mbt1 in group II ranged from 131 to 643 ng/mL (n=7, median 343 ng/mL) (P=0.006). Mbt2 in group I ranged from 30 to 597 ng/mL (n=54, median 101 ng/mL), and in group II from 141 to >700 ng/mL (n=8, median 203 ng/mL) (P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, Mbt0 is a moderately sensitive and specific prognostic indicator. Almost 90% of the dogs below the cutpoint survived to discharge, whereas 50% with Mbt0 above the cutpoint did not survive.

Detection of type III secretion genes as a general indicator of bacterial virulence

Type III secretion systems of Gram-negative bacteria are specific export machineries for virulence factors which allow their translocation to eukaryotic cells. Since they correlate with bacterial pathogenicity, their presence is used as a general indicator of bacterial virulence. By comparing the genetic relationship of the major type III secretion systems we found the family of genes encoding the inner-membrane channel proteins represented by the Yersinia enterocolitica lcrD (synonym yscV) and its homologous genes from other species an ideal component for establishing a general detection approach for type III secretion systems. Based on the genes of the lcrD family we developed gene probes for Gram-negative human, animal and plant pathogens. The probes comprise lcrD from Y. enterocolitica, sepA from enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, invA from Salmonella typhimurium, mxiA from Shigella sonnei, as well as hrcV from Erwinia amylovora. In addition we included as a control probe the flhA gene from E. coli K-12 to validate our approach. FlhA is part of the flagellar export apparatus which shows a high degree of similarity with type III secretions systems, but is not involved in pathogenicity. The probes were evaluated by screening a series of pathogenic as well as non-pathogenic bacteria. The probes detected type III secretion in pathogens where such systems were either known or were expected to be present, whereas no positive hybridization signals could be found in non-pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. Gram-positive bacteria were devoid of known type III secretion systems. No interference due to the genetic similarity between the type III secretion system and the flagellar export apparatus was observed. However, potential type III secretion systems could be detected in bacteria where no such systems have been described yet. The presented approach provides therefore a useful tool for the assessment of the virulence potential of bacterial isolates of human, animal and plant origin. Moreover, it is a powerful means for a first safety assessment of poorly characterized strains intended to be used in biotechnological applications.

Health of farmed fish: its relation to fish welfare and its utility as welfare indicator

This brief review focuses on health and biological function as cornerstones of fish welfare. From the function-based point of view, good welfare is reflected in the ability of the animal to cope with infectious and non-infectious stressors, thereby maintaining homeostasis and good health, whereas stressful husbandry conditions and protracted suffering will lead to the loss of the coping ability and, thus, to impaired health. In the first part of the review, the physiological processes through which stressful husbandry conditions modulate health of farmed fish are examined. If fish are subjected to unfavourable husbandry conditions, the resulting disruption of internal homeostasis necessitates energy-demanding physiological adjustments (allostasis/acclimation). The ensuing energy drain leads to trade-offs with other energy-demanding processes such as the functioning of the primary epithelial barriers (gut, skin, gills) and the immune system. Understanding of the relation between husbandry conditions, allostatic responses and fish health provides the basis for the second theme developed in this review, the potential use of biological function and health parameters as operational welfare indicators (OWIs). Advantages of function- and health-related parameters are that they are relatively straightforward to recognize and to measure and are routinely monitored in most aquaculture units, thereby providing feasible tools to assess fish welfare under practical farming conditions. As the efforts to improve fish welfare and environmental sustainability lead to increasingly diverse solutions, in particular integrated production, it is imperative that we have objective OWIs to compare with other production forms, such as high-density aquaculture. However, to receive the necessary acceptance for legislation, more robust scientific backing of the health- and function-related OWIs is urgently needed.