Rat liver sections and a human epithelial cell line (HEp-2) were compared as substrates for the detection of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in the serum of normal dogs and dogs with suspected autoimmune disease, using a standard indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) technique. Antibody reactivity against rat hepatocyte nuclei was frequently found at low serum dilutions in normal dog sera. Using rat liver sections, a minimum significant positive titer, allowing negativity in more than 95% of normal dog sera, was found to be 1/100. With this titer, ANA positivity could be verified in 64 of 112 (57%) reanalysed serum samples from dogs with suspected autoimmune disease, earlier determined as ANA-positive. No reactivity against nuclei of HEp-2 cells was observed in any of the normal dog sera analyzed at a screening dilution of 1/25. Using this dilution as a minimum significant positive titer, 63 of the 112 (56%) re-evaluated serum samples were positive. These 63 samples were from the same dogs as the 64 samples that were positive on rat liver sections. Thus, the 2 methods of ANA-IIF detected a nearly identical population of dogs with suspected autoimmune disease once the level of significance of a positive titer was adjusted to > 95% specificity for each method. HEp-2 cells were found to be superior to rat liver cryostate sections as ANA substrate because of their low reactivity with normal sera, and the ease of discernment of the ANA fluorescence pattern. The recognition and documentation of specific pattern types may give clues to ANA subspecificities, which could prove useful if they are found to correlate with well-defined subgroups of immune mediated clinical diseases in dogs.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The binaural interaction component in human ABR is stable within the 0- to 1-ms range of interaural time differences.

The effect of unilaterally delayed acoustic stimuli on binaural interaction was studied in 12 subjects with normal hearing. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) was obtained in the midline between the forehead and the neck, and click stimuli were unilaterally delayed at 0.2-ms intervals in the 0- to 1-ms range. Binaural interaction was evaluated by measuring the beta wave in the binaural difference waveform, i.e. the remainder after subtracting the binaurally evoked registration from the sum of the two monaural registrations. Computation of the binaural difference waveform showed the beta wave amplitude to be relatively stable throughout the 0- to 1-ms range of interaural time differences. This finding suggests stable binaural interaction within the range of interaural time differences where binaural click stimuli induce a binaurally fused intracranial image.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Increased platelet aggregation response in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with mitral valve prolapse.

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a fundamental feature of myxomatous mitral valve disease in the dog. In humans, primary MVP is associated with increased platelet reactivity. In Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS), a breed predisposed to myxomatous mitral valve disease, there is a high prevalence of hypomagnesemia and platelet anomalies, such as thrombocytopenia and macrothrombocytosis. The objective of this study was to evaluate platelet aggregation responses in CKCS and to determine the relationship between the platelet aggregation response and serum magnesium concentration, MVP, mitral regurgitation (MR), and platelet count. In 19 CKCS with MVP and 7 control dogs (not CKCS), the platelet aggregation response to 3 different agonists was compared. The CKCS with >100,000 platelets/microL (n = 10) had a significantly higher maximum aggregation response with regard to all tested agonists than the CKCS with <100,000 platelets/microL (n = 9) and control dogs (n = 7). The CKCS with <100,000 platelets/microL had a platelet aggregation response similar to the control dogs. There was no correlation between degree of MVP and platelet aggregation response. Platelet diameter increased (P = .006) and serum magnesium concentration decreased (P = .04) with lower platelet concentration. In conclusion, CKCS with MVP appeared to separate into 2 groups--1 group with <100,000 platelets/microL, normal platelet aggregation, low serum magnesium concentration, and enlarged platelets, and another group with >100,000 platelets/microL, increased platelet aggregation, and normal serum magnesium concentration and platelet size.

Animals↗