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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

How to detect eosinophils in dogs with gut inflammation

By Bastan, Idil et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2018·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Assessment of eosinophils in gastrointestinal inflammatory disease of dogs.

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

A group of dogs with gastrointestinal (GI) issues, including eosinophilic enteritis (a type of inflammatory bowel disease), had biopsies taken to better understand their condition. Researchers found that using a special staining method allowed them to see more eosinophils (a type of white blood cell) in the tissue samples than the standard method. This new approach helped identify both intact and degranulated eosinophils more accurately, which could lead to better diagnosis and treatment for dogs suffering from eosinophilic GI disease.

People also search for: dog gastrointestinal issues · eosinophilic enteritis treatment · dog inflammatory bowel disease symptoms

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Accurate identification of eosinophils in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of dogs with eosinophilic GI disease (EGID) by histological evaluation is challenging. The currently used hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining method detects intact eosinophils but does not detect degranulated eosinophils, thus potentially underrepresenting the number of infiltrating eosinophils. OBJECTIVE: To develop a more sensitive method for identifying and quantifying both intact and degranulated eosinophils to diagnose EGID more accurately. METHODS: Endoscopically obtained paraffin-embedded intestinal biopsy specimens from dogs with GI signs were examined. The study groups were dogs with eosinophilic enteritis (EE), lymphoplasmacytic and mixed enteritis, and control dogs with GI signs but no histologic changes on tissue sections. Consecutive sections were immunolabeled with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the eosinophil granule protein eosinophil peroxidase (Epx) and stained by H&E, respectively. The number of eosinophils was manually quantified and classified as intact or degranulated. RESULTS: The number of intact eosinophils detected in Epx mAb-labeled duodenal sections was significantly higher compared with that in H&E-stained sections, with a similar relationship noted in the colon and stomach. The Epx mAb allowed the unique assessment of eosinophil degranulation. The number of intact and degranulated eosinophils was significantly higher in duodenal lamina propria of the EE and mixed group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Immunohistochemical detection of Epx provides a more precise method to detect GI tract eosinophils compared to H&E staining and could be used as an alternative and reliable diagnostic tool for assessment of biopsy tissues from dogs with EGID.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30294803/