A Pilot Study for the Characterization of spp. and Analysis of Possible / Correlation.

Differentiating between species is relevant in human medicine. toxins might be effective against , a nematode causing relevant human morbidity. Our first objective was to evaluate genomic and MALDI-TOF identification methods for .

Generation of Insulin-Producing Cells from Canine Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells: A Preliminary Study.

Cell-based therapy using insulin-producing cells (IPCs) is anticipated as an alternative treatment option to insulin injection or pancreatic islet transplantation for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in both human and veterinary medicine. Several protocols were reported for the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into IPCs; to date, glucose-responsive IPCs have only been obtained from canine adipose tissue-derived MSCs (c-MSCs), but not from canine bone marrow-derived MSCs (cBM-MSCs). Therefore, this study aims to generate in vitro glucose-responsive IPCs from cBM-MSCs using two differentiation protocols: a two-step protocol using trichostatin (TSA) and a three-step protocol using mercaptoethanol to induce pancreatic and duodenal homeobox gene 1 (PDX-1) expression.

Treatment of Canine Leishmaniasis with Meglumine Antimoniate: A Clinical Study of Tolerability and Efficacy.

Antimoniate therapy, in association with allopurinol, is one of the first-line treatments of canine leishmaniasis (CanL). This study evaluates the potential adverse effects associated with aNm in the treatment of CanL through both a retrospective analysis and a long-term prospective study also aimed to investigate its efficacy. The retrospective study reviewed records of 87 dogs with CanL with at least one follow-up available during or at the end of therapy with aNm (Glucantime) at a dose of 50 mg/kg administered subcutaneously twice a day in association with allopurinol.

Clinical insights to address canine strongyloidosis in daily practice.

Canine strongyloidosis by Strongyloides stercoralis is a parasitic disease emerging in Europe, which represents both a veterinary clinical issue and a public health challenge because of the zoonotic potential. The disease, not yet frequent in Europe, could induce severe clinical signs in dogs; thus, an early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are desirable. The aim of the present work is to retrospectively investigate the clinical and paraclinical findings in sick dogs naturally infected by S.

Strongyloidiasis in humans and dogs in Southern Italy: an observational study.

Strongyloidiasis is a clinical issue both in humans and in dogs. Moreover, there are concerns about its zoonotic potential. We aimed to explore Strongyloides stercoralis epidemiology in Southern Italy in humans and dogs sharing the same environment in three different settings: (1) kennels (group K); (2) livestock farms (group L) and (3) agricultural farms (group A).

The diagnosis of human and companion animal Strongyloides stercoralis infection: Challenges and solutions. A scoping review.

Strongyloidiasis is the infection caused by soil-transmitted nematodes of Strongyloides species, infecting humans and some animals. Strongyloides stercoralis is the species with most clinical and epidemiological relevance in humans and dogs, due to its high prevalence and its capacity of inducing a life-threatening hyperinfection. Diagnosis of strongyloidiasis is challenging, due to the absence of a single reference standard test with high sensitivity and specificity, which also hampers the estimation of the accuracy of other diagnostic tests.

Serum digoxin concentrations in dogs with atrial fibrillation under long term digoxin treatment.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in dogs, most frequently diagnosed as chronic AF associated with a structural heart disease. The therapeutic strategy, in these cases, is based on the heart rate control and digoxin is one of the most used drugs.

Aim: The aim of this work was to study the serum digoxin concentration changes in dogs with AF under long-term treatment with digoxin.

Is Pulmonary Hypertension a Rare Condition Associated to Angiostrongylosis in Naturally Infected Dogs?

Canine angiostrongylosis due to Angiostrongylus vasorum is one of the cardiopulmonary parasitic diseases in dogs and it can manifest with very different clinical pictures, which often make diagnosis very difficult. Based on the nature of the vascular and parenchymal lesions induced by the infection (thrombo-arteritis and fibrosis), it is not surprising that cases of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) associated with angiostrongylosis have been reported in the literature, although it seems to represent a rare condition. The aim of the present work is to describe the clinical and instrumental aspects referred to cases of canine angiostrongylosis before and after treatment then to evaluate even mild conditions of PAH using echocardiography.

Comparison of Two Dosing Regimens of Miltefosine, Both in Combination With Allopurinol, on Clinical and Parasitological Findings of Dogs With Leishmaniosis: A Pilot Study.

Miltefosine (MIL)-allopurinol combination therapy administered at standard dosage is effective to treat canine leishmaniosis, nevertheless for some dogs the digestive tolerance of MIL is not acceptable. This study evaluates an alternative therapeutic protocol by using a modified dosage of MIL to increase its effectiveness and improve the digestive tolerance. Thirty-four owned naturally infected dogs were included and monitored for 180 days.

Autochthonous Human and Canine Infection in Europe: Report of a Human Case in An Italian Teen and Systematic Review of the Literature.

Autochthonous human and canine strongyloidiasis is reported in Europe but is unclear whether the transmission of infection still occurs. We report a previously unpublished human case in an Italian teen and perform a systematic review of literature on autochthonous human and canine strongyloidiasis in Europe to investigate the current dynamic of transmission. Overall, 109 papers published after 1987 were included and one previously unpublished Italian case was added.

Intracoronary Gene Delivery of the Cytoprotective Factor Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-B in Canine Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Short-Term Feasibility Study.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a myocardial disease of dogs and humans characterized by progressive ventricular dilation and depressed contractility and it is a frequent cause of heart failure. Conventional pharmacological therapy cannot reverse the progression of the disease and, in humans, cardiac transplantation remains the only option during the final stages of heart failure. Cytoprotective gene therapy with vascular endothelial growth factor-B (VEGF-B) has proved an effective alternative therapy, halting the progression of the disease in experimental studies on dogs.

Efficacy of ivermectin to control Strongyloides stercoralis infection in sheltered dogs.

In dogs, information on treatments against S. stercoralis infection is rare and anecdotal. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the treatment outcome of S.

Occurrence, diagnosis and follow-up of canine strongyloidiosis in naturally infected shelter dogs.

Strongyloidiosis by Strongyloides stercoralis is a disease of increasing interest in human and animal medicine. The scientific knowledge on canine strongyloidiosis is hindered by the poor diagnostics available. To assess the most sensitive and specific diagnostic method, feces and blood from 100 shelter dogs were screened for S.

Serological and molecular tests for the diagnosis of Strongyloides stercoralis infection in dogs.

Strongyloides stercoralis can cause severe infection both in humans and dogs. Coproparasitological examination has low sensitivity for the diagnosis of this parasite; hence, different diagnostic techniques have been implemented. However, serology and molecular methods have been assessed almost exclusively in humans.

Canine angiostrongylosis in naturally infected dogs: clinical approach and monitoring of infection after treatment.

Canine angiostrongylosis is an increasingly reported disease in Europe which can be fatal if left untreated. The wide range of clinical presentation along with the absence of pathognomonic alterations can make the diagnosis challenging; thus any additional information that may provide clues to an early diagnosis may be of value, in order to ensure adequate anthelmintic treatment. Aim of the study was to assess a clinicopathological scoring system associated with natural Angiostrongylus vasorum infection diagnosed in canine patients during clinical practice, to clinically and paraclinically monitor infected dogs after treatment, and to monitor the presence of L1 larvae in faecal samples by Baermann's test.

Monitoring the reverse to normal of clinico-pathological findings and the disease free interval time using four different treatment protocols for canine leishmaniosis in an endemic area.

Twenty-four dogs naturally infected by Leishmania spp. were treated with four different protocols using meglumine antimoniate (aNm) and allopurinol in combination or in monotherapy. Aiming to compare the efficacy of the different treatments the reverse to normal of clinico-pathological findings and the disease free interval time (DFIT) were evaluated.

Failure of imidocarb dipropionate to eliminate Hepatozoon canis in naturally infected dogs based on parasitological and molecular evaluation methods.

The efficacy of imidocarb dipropionate for the treatment of Hepatozoon canis infection was studied in three naturally infected asymptomatic dogs followed longitudinally over 8 months. Response to treatment was followed by monitoring blood counts, parasitemia levels in blood, parasite in concentrated buffy-coat smears and by PCR. The dogs were initially treated with a low dose of 3 mg/kg imidocarb dipropionate twice a month and when parasitemia persisted after five treatments, with the regular dose of 6 mg/kg.

Monoclonal gammopathy associated with heartworm disease in a dog.

A 12-year-old, intact female, mixed Yorkshire terrier was evaluated for syncopal episodes, weakness, decreased appetite, and weight loss. Heartworm disease was diagnosed based on evidence of circulating microfilariae of Dirofilaria immitis on direct examination of blood smears and a positive SNAP heartworm antigen test. An immunoglobulin G (IgG) gammopathy, demonstrated by serum protein electrophoresis, was associated with heartworm disease in this dog.

Clinical and laboratory monitoring of dogs naturally infected by Leishmania infantum.

The clinical evolution of Leishmania infantum infection in dogs is largely influenced by the host's individual immune response. Few studies have investigated the time course and clinical evolution of the infection both under experimental and natural conditions. In the present investigation, the time course of L.

First report of bovine anaplasmosis caused by Anaplasma centrale in Europe.

Anaplasma centrale (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) is used as a live vaccine for cattle against the pathogenic Anaplasma marginale in tropical and subtropical areas. Herein we report a clinical case of bovine anaplasmosis associated with A. centrale infection in Italy, together with the first molecular identification and phylogenetic analysis of this Anaplasma species or subspecies in Europe.

Assessing the relationship between Malassezia and leishmaniasis in dogs with or without skin lesions.

The relationship among the frequency, population size and phospholipase activity of Malasseziapachydermatis was investigated for dogs with Leishmania infantum infection (Li+) and those without evidence of this infection (Li-). A group of 188 dogs (141 without and 47 with skin lesions) was examined clinically, and samples were taken for the detection of Malassezia and L. infantum using various diagnostic methods.

Application of 10% imidacloprid/50% permethrin to prevent Ehrlichia canis exposure in dogs under natural conditions.

Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME) caused by Ehrlichia canis is the most known canine tick-borne disease (TBD) spread throughout the world. Preventing tick bites is a priority to reduce the risk of TBDs and it was the aim of the present study to evaluate the efficacy of a combination of imidacloprid 10% and permethrin 50% (ImPer) (Advantix; Bayer AG, Germany) in a spot-on formulation to control CME under field conditions. On January-March 2005, 845 dogs from two kennels in southern Italy (kennels of Bari (KB)- and Ginosa (KG)), with a history of tick infestation were initially tested by serology and PCR assay for E.