Search

Purpose: The present work aims at evaluating intensity-modulated radiation therapy with simultaneous integrated boost (IMRT-SIB) in squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the larynx and hypopharynx. Methods/patients: We performed a single institutional retrospective analysis on 116 pharyngo (29%)-laryngeal (71%) SCC patients (93% male) treated with IMRT-SIB to 66–69.96 Gy in 33 fractions between 2008 and 2016. Those who underwent surgery (54%) received adjuvant radiation of 66 Gy at 2 Gy/fraction to the surgical bed. 16 patients (14%) were treated for a local recurrence after prior surgery. High-risk lymph node regions received 59.4 Gy at 1.8 Gy/fraction and low risk regions 54.12 Gy at 1.64 Gy/fraction. The median age was 60 years and 95% of patients had an ECOG performance status 0–2. Most had advanced stage disease (III 22%, IV 74%). Chemotherapy was delivered in 74% of cases. Results: Median follow-up was 32 months. Two and three-year overall survival for all patients was 87% and 82%, respectively. There were 28 (24%) locoregional recurrences and 19 (16%) distant failures. Grade 3 mucositis, dermatitis, and xerostomy were observed in 12%, 10%, and 3%, respectively. A longer IMRT-SIB overall treatment time was associated with a higher risk of mortality (HR 1.09, CI 1.01–1.17, P = 0.02). Postoperative IMRT-SIB associated with a significantly lower risk of any recurrence (HR 0.34, CI 0.18–0.64, P = 0.001) and higher local control (HR 0.06, CI 0.01–0.24, P < 0.01). Additionally, it associated with a lower risk of mucositis (P = 0.029) compared with definitive radio (chemo) therapy. Conclusions: IMRT-SIB is a safe and feasible radiation treatment technique for pharyngo-laryngeal SCC patients with a tolerable acute toxicity profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neoplasms in the perianal region are frequently diagnosed in dogs. The aetiology is unknown, and most of them are benign. In this study, 240 neoplasms of the perianal glands of dogs were retrieved from the Department of Pathology archives of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechny of University of São Paulo (FMVZ/USP), from 1984 to 2004. All 240 cases were re-examined by two pathologists. Nine cases (4%) were diagnosed as hyperplasia, 49 (20%) as group I adenoma, 81 (34%) were classified as moderately differentiated adenomas of the group II, 46 (19%) were poorly differentiated adenomas of group II, 48 (20%) were carcinoma of the group III according to the classification proposed by Berrocal, and 7 (13%) were other kind of tumours. Males over 8 years of age were predominantly affected. Cell proliferation was quantified by counting proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) positive nuclei, and apoptosis was quantified by counting fluorescent eosin-stained apoptotic corpuscles (AC) in normal tissue, hyperplasia and in different histologic types of neoplasia of these glands. A parallel pattern of increase in both parameters (cell proliferation and apoptosis) was obtained. The net growth index (NGI), represents how much a cell population is proliferating or dying and was achieved by dividing the mean PCNA count in 1000 cells by the mean AC stain count in 1000 cells. NGI was different between hyperplasia and neoplasia; group I adenomas have a much higher potential of growth, and NGI decreases from benign towards malignant lesions. These results show up the importance of studying cell proliferation and apoptosis to understand the carcinogenesis of dog perianal gland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated possible immunotoxic effects of Senna occidentalis (So) seeds incorporated in broiler chicken rations at different concentrations (0.0%, 0.25%, 0.50% and 0.75%), for 28 or 42 days. We evaluated innate immune function (macrophage activities of spreading, phagocytosis, peroxide and nitric oxide production) and acquired immune function (humoral and cellular immune responses), as well as lymphoid organ weights and pathology. There was enhanced macrophage activity, as hydrogen peroxide production increased ( P < 0.05) in cells of birds given 0.75% So, but there were no other pro-inflammatory effects. Birds receiving 0.75% of So in ration for 42 days gained less weight ( P < 0.01), and showed a decrease in relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius ( P < 0.05) and spleen ( P < 0.01). In addition, morphological changes were also noted in these lymphoid organs, with depletion of lymphoid cells on the spleen and bursa of Fabricius, resulting in lower relative weight of both lymphoid organs. No impairment of humoral immune response against Newcastle disease and in cellular immune response after a phytohaemagglutinin challenge was found. It is probable that mitochondrial damage and related apoptosis may be responsible for the enhanced peroxide production and the reduced relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius and spleen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generalized mixed linear, threshold, and logistic sire models and Markov chain, Monte Carlo simulation procedures were used to estimate genetic parameters for calving rate and calf survival in a multibreed beef cattle population. Data were obtained from a 5-generation rotational crossbreeding study involving Angus, Brahman, Charolais, and Hereford (1969 to 1995). Gelbvieh and Simmental bulls sired terminal-cross calves from a sample of generation 5 cows. A total of 1,458 cows sired by 158 bulls had a mean calving rate of 78% based on 4,808 calving records. Ninety-one percent of 5,015 calves sired by 260 bulls survived to weaning. Mean heritability estimates and standard deviations for daughter calving rate from posterior distributions were 0.063 ± 0.024, 0.150 ± 0.049, and 0.130 ± 0.047 for linear, threshold, and logistic models, respectively. For calf survival, mean heritability estimates and standard deviations from posterior distributions were 0.049 ± 0.022, 0.160 ± 0.058, and 0.190 ± 0.078 from linear, threshold, and logistic models, respectively. When transformed to an underlying normal scale, linear sire, mixed model, heritability estimates were similar to threshold and logistic sire mixed model estimates. Posterior density distributions of estimated heritabilities from all models were normal. Spearman rank correlations between sire EPD across statistical models were greater than 0.97 for daughter calving rate and for calf survival. Sire EPD had similar ranges across statistical models for daughter calving rate and for calf survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Infectious bovine mastitis is responsible for serious economic losses in dairy cattle breeding. Information about the damages caused by micro-organisms is of great interest and importance. The purpose of the present study was to report on the microbiological and histopathological aspects of the mammary parenchymas of slaughtered dairy cows. A total of 184 mammary glands were examined and samples of mammary parenchyma were collected for microbiological and histopathological examinations. Micro-organisms were isolated from 69.6% samples; 23 (12.5%) of the 184 samples did not show histological changes; inflammatory response was observed in 56 (30.4%) samples; inflammatory response and repair were present in 82 (44.6%) samples; repair process was verified in 23 (12.5%) of the mammary glands. Coagulase-negative Staphylococci were observed in 53.8% of the samples followed by coagulase-positive Staphylococci (7.6%), Prototheca sp. (2.2%) and Streptococcus dysgalactiae (1.6%). Coagulase-negative Staphylococci and coagulase-positive Staphylococci were associated mainly to chronic inflammatory response and chronic inflammatory response and repair. Samples from which no micro-organisms were isolated (n = 56) had no histological changes in 82.6% of the cases. These results were higher (P <0.05) when compared to the samples with micro-organisms and without histological changes (17.4%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high prevalence of the great resistance to antimicrobials shown by the aetiological agents of infectious bovine mastitis, often leads to chronic recurrent mastitis, one of the main causes of early culling of dairy cows. The purpose of this study was to determine the in vitro susceptibility pattern of Staphylococcus spp. isolated from mammary parenchymas of slaughtered dairy cows, to different anti-microbials. A total of 45 Staphylococcus spp. strains [33 coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) and 12 Staphylococcus aureus (SA)] were used. These strains were tested with 12 different antimicrobials by the Kirby and Bauer standardized disc diffusion method; 84.44 % and 86.66 % of the 45 strains were resistant to ampicillin and penicillin, respectively. The highest sensitivity was to cephalothin (84.44 %), gentamicin (80 %) and to sulphazotrin (77.77 %). CNS showed higher resistance (P < 0.05) than SA. The in vitro susceptibility pattern of Staphylococcus spp. strains isolated from mammary parenchymas studied in the present investigation was similar to that observed in recent studies of in vitro and in vivo susceptibility patterns of Staphylococcus spp. isolated from cases of bovine mastitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term bronchoesophageal fistula is used for the abnormal communication between the esophageal lumen and the pulmonary bronchi. There are no reports of this condition in production animals, and its origin is unknown. A male Dorper sheep from the Veterinary Hospital of the Santo Amaro University, SP, Brazil, presented clinical signs of tachypnea, apathy, and coughing after eating. The animal died suddenly after a fever break. During the gross evaluation, a fistula was noticed in the middle third of the thoracic esophagus with communication to the right cranial lung lobe, forming an encapsulated area measuring 24.5 cm x 22.0 cm x 9.4 cm. Fibrous tissue delimited the pulmonary lobe and feed filled the compartment. This is a rare condition with unclear etiopathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of prolonged oral administration of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) mycotoxins were evaluated in broiler chickens from 21 to 42 d of age. A total of 192 birds were housed in experimental batteries and assigned to 32 cages, 6 birds per cage. The following treatments were applied: 1) 0 mycotoxins (control), 2) 10 mg of FB1, 3) 50 μg of AFB1, 4) 50 μg of AFB1 + 10 mg of FB1, 5) 350 μg of AFB1, 6) 350 μg of AFB1 + 10 mg of FB1, 7) 2,450 μg of AFB1, 8) 2,450 μg of AFB1 + 10 mg of FB1/kg of feed. Each treatment consisted of 4 replicates of 6 birds each. At the end of the trial, blood samples from 12 birds per treatment were collected, and the birds were necropsied. Compared with controls, the percentage of heterophils was lower (P « 0.05) in birds from groups receiving 50 μg of AFB1/kg + 10 nag of FB1/kg and 2450 μg of AFB1/kg alone or in combination with FB1. A higher percentage of lymphocytes (P « 0.05) was observed in birds fed 50 μg of AFB1/kg + 10 nag of FB1/kg, 350 μg of AFB1/kg, and 2,450 μg of AFB1/kg. A decrease in plasma albumin was observed only in birds fed 2,450 μg of AFB1/kg + 10 nag of FB1/kg. The liver of AFB1-treated birds had focal areas of necrosis and inflammatory infiltrates. In birds fed rations containing only 10 mg of FB1/kg, bile duct hyperplasia with fibrosis and a mononuclear infiltrate accompanied by trabecular derangement were observed. In contrast, in treatments in which FB1 was administered in combination, hepatic vacuolar degeneration was observed, and renal tissue presented corpuscles with increased cellular agglomeration, characterizing glomerulonephritis, and a clearly visible tubular epithelium with areas of degeneration and necrosis. The FB1 residues were detected in liver and in excreta of all FB1-treated groups, at levels that ranged from 0.013 to 0.051 mg/kg and from 1.19 to 2.79 mg/kg, respectively. Results indicated that FB1 and AFB1, singly or in combination at the levels evaluated, do not change markedly the hematological and serological parameters of broiler chickens, but may cause relevant lesions in liver and in kidneys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunopathogenesis of glomerulonephritis (GN) in visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is known to be immune complex mediated, but studying IgG deposits during evolution of VL in hamsters we observed a peak deposit of IgG in glomeruli at 30 days post-infection with subsequent decline though the lesion development proceeded. This finding pointed out a need for better evaluation of immunopathogenesis in VL that we searched in 55 dogs naturally infected with Leishmania (L.) chagasi and 5 non-infected controls from Northeast of Brazil. Glomerulonephritis was present in 84% of dogs with VL, and by immunohistochemistry Leishmania antigen was detected in 90.9%, and interestingly CD4+ T cells in 80%, and concomitantly CD8+ T cells in 25% of dogs with VL. Possibly due to the chronic evolution of canine VL, IgG and IgM deposits were not found enhanced when compared with controls. Furthermore, less apoptotic cells (detected by TUNEL assay) were present in glomeruli as well as the expression of TNF alfa in dogs with VL when compared with non-infected controls. Concerning participation of immunoglobulins, in sample from hamsters with VL, under transmission electron microscopy after immunodetection using Protein A-gold, immunoglobulin was observed internalized within endothelial cells in glomeruli at 30 days post-infection, suggesting an alternative pathogenic mechanism. These data suggest main participation of CD4+ T cells, a time-related participation of immunoglobulin by a mechanism not related to immune complex deposition and modulation of apoptosis of cells in the pathogenesis of glomerulonephritis in VL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]