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Background Previous studies have identified hypoalbuminemia as a risk factor for negative outcome in dogs with chronic enteropathy ( CE), but it has not been determined whether histopathology differs between CE dogs with and without hypoalbuminemia. Objective To compare histopathologic findings in dogs with biopsy-diagnosed inflammatory CE with and without hypoalbuminemia. Animals 83 dogs that had intestinal biopsy performed between January 2010-July 2015. Dogs had signs compatible with CE of at least 3-weeks' duration and no evidence of clinically relevant extra-gastrointestinal ( GI) disease or potential non- GI causes of hypoalbuminemia. Dogs had primary diagnosis of inflammatory enteritis based on histopathology. Methods Dogs were grouped into CE with normoalbuminemia ( CEN; serum albumin concentration ≥3.0 g/dL, N = 46) or chronic enteropathy with hypoalbuminemia ( CEH; serum albumin concentration <3.0 g/ dL, N = 37). A pathologist ( SLP) blinded to the groups reviewed biopsy samples and applied the World Small Animal Veterinary Association scoring system to all samples. Results Intestinal biopsy samples from dogs in the CEH group were significantly more likely to display villous stunting, epithelial injury, crypt distension, and lacteal dilatation, and were more likely to have intraepithelial lymphocytes and lamina propria neutrophils than biopsy samples from dogs in the CEN group. Additionally, higher scores for each of the above listed histopathologic criteria were associated with a lower serum albumin concentration. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Histopathologic features of chronic inflammatory enteropathy differ between dogs that are hypo- versus normoalbuminemic. Additional work is needed to elucidate the clinical relevance of these differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: CD11c serves as a marker for human and murine dendritic cells (DCs) and cells expressing this marker have been shown to have similar morphological and functional characteristics in the canine immune system. The aim of this study was to quantify CD11c+ cells in the duodenum, ileum and colon of healthy dogs and dogs with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Endoscopic biopsies from the duodenum (n =12 cases), ileum (n =8 cases) and colon (n =12 cases) were obtained from dogs diagnosed with IBD. Intestinal tissue from 10 healthy beagle dogs was used as control. Immunofluorescence microscopy was carried out using an anti-canine CD11c monoclonal antibody. Labelled cells were recorded as cells per 120,000μm2. The canine chronic enteropathy clinical activity index (CCECAI) was calculated for all dogs with IBD. In addition, sections from all dogs with IBD were evaluated according to the guidelines of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Gastrointestinal Standardization Group. The number of CD11c+ cells in the duodenum, ileum and colon of dogs with IBD was significantly reduced compared with controls (P <0.01, P <0.01 and P <0.05, respectively). There was a significant negative correlation between the number of CD11c+ cells in the colon of dogs with IBD and the CCECAI (P =0.044, r 2 =−0.558). Chronic inflammation in canine IBD appears to involve an imbalance in the intestinal DC population. Future studies will determine whether reduced expression of CD11c could be a useful marker for the diagnosis and monitoring of canine IBD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]