Only a limited number of tumour biomarkers are currently available in veterinary medicine, particularly in cats. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is an extracellular DNA fragment released upon cell death and is considered a minimally invasive biomarker for the diagnosis and monitoring of various human malignancies. This study aimed to clarify the utility of circulating cfDNA as a liquid biopsy for various feline tumours. Plasma samples were collected from 44 cats with various tumours, 24 cats with other diseases and 10 healthy controls. A follow-up study was conducted in three tumour-bearing patients. All cfDNA concentrations were quantified via real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which provided short and long fragments of a newly identified feline LINE-1 gene. We found that cfDNA levels were significantly higher in cats with various tumours than in those with other diseases or healthy controls. The cfDNA concentration was not correlated with serum amyloid A (SAA) levels. Cats with tumours exhibited elevated cfDNA levels that predicted tumour-bearing with a sensitivity and specificity of 50.5% and 91.2%, respectively (AUC 0.736; p < 0.001). In lymphoma cases, cats with high cfDNA levels had significantly shorter survival times than those with low cfDNA levels (median: 33 days vs. 178 days; p = 0.003). In addition, the cfDNA levels of the three patients correlated with clinical status during follow-up. Collectively, these findings indicate the potential of cfDNA as a useful biomarker for the diagnosis, therapeutic monitoring and prognostic assessment of tumours in cats.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/vco.13013 | DOI Listing |
JFMS Open Rep
January 2025
Department of Anatomy, Comparative Pathology and Toxicology, University of Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, Córdoba, Spain.
Case Summary: A 13-year-old male castrated domestic shorthair cat presented with a 2-month history of progressive lameness, poor appetite and constipation. Physical examination revealed palpable lesions in muscles of several extremities. Ultrasound examination confirmed the presence of round lesions with a hypo- or anechoic centre within the muscles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFActa Parasitol
January 2025
Veterinary Laboratories, PAAFR, P.O. Box: 21422, Safat, Kuwait, 13075, Kuwait.
Purpose: The objective of the study was to establish the prevalence of Sarcocystis (Apicomplexa, Sarcocystidae) in brown rats from Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, Kuwait, and to describe detected parasites using morphological and DNA analysis methods.
Methods: Ninety-eight brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) were examined for Sarcocystis spp. Obtained sarcocysts were investigated using light microscopy and electron microscopy.
Pathogens
December 2024
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T3R 1J3, Canada.
Papillomaviruses (PVs) frequently infect humans as well as non-human species. While most PV infections are asymptomatic, PVs can also cause hyperplastic papillomas (warts) as well as pre-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions. In this review, the life cycle of PVs is discussed, along with the mechanisms by which PVs cause hyperplastic and neoplastic diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3-5-8 Saiwai-cho, Fuchu , Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan.
Organoids are stem cell-derived three-dimensional tissue cultures composed of multiple cell types that recapitulate the morphology and functions of their in vivo counterparts. Organ-on-a-chip devices are tiny chips with interconnected wells and channels designed using a perfusion system and microfluidics to precisely mimic the in vivo physiology and mechanical forces experienced by cells in the body. These techniques have recently been used to reproduce the structure and function of organs in vitro and are expected to be promising alternatives for animal experiments in the future.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Vet Intern Med
December 2024
Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK.
Background: Spinal arachnoid diverticulum (SAD) is considered a rare disease in cats. Previous reports mainly classified SAD in cats as acquired.
Hypothesis/objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the signalment, clinical presentation, diagnostic imaging findings, and outcome in a group of cats with SAD.
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!