Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How gene tests help diagnose chronic gut disease and lymphoma in dogs
By Hiyoshi, Saaya et al.·Published in Veterinary immunology and immunopathology·2015·Department of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Association between lymphocyte antigen receptor gene rearrangements and histopathological evaluation in canine chronic enteropathy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with chronic gastrointestinal issues, known as chronic enteropathy (CE), were studied to see how well a specific test (PARR) could help differentiate between CE and gastrointestinal lymphoma, a type of cancer. The researchers found that about half of the dogs with CE showed signs of abnormal lymphocyte growth, even in mild cases. However, the test was more effective in identifying lymphoma, with a 76% success rate. Dogs with severe enteritis had a shorter survival time compared to those with mild or moderate cases. More research is needed to fully understand the role of these abnormal lymphocytes in chronic enteropathy.
People also search for: dog chronic diarrhea treatment · dog gastrointestinal lymphoma symptoms · chronic enteropathy in dogs diagnosis
Abstract
Although definitive diagnosis of chronic enteropathy (CE) and gastrointestinal (GI) lymphoma requires histopathological evaluation of the GI tract, these conditions are often still difficult to differentiate from each other. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for antigen receptor gene rearrangements (PARR) has been applied recently as an adjunctive for diagnosis of lymphoid tumors; however, its clinical value in canine CE and GI lymphoma remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between PARR and histopathological diagnosis, degree of enteritis or lymphoma, and long-term prognosis in dogs, in order to evaluate the clinical significance of PARR. Endoscopic biopsy specimens obtained from 96 dogs with chronic enteritis (mild, n=14; moderate, n=20; marked, n=62) and 21 dogs with GI lymphoma were used. Clonality was observed in 51% of the animals with chronic enteritis; interestingly, it was found in 29% of those with only mild enteritis. In dogs with marked enteritis, the rate of PARR was higher in those with lymphocyte epitheliotropism than in those without epitheliotropism. The sensitivity of PARR in animals with GI lymphoma was 76%. There was no significant prognostic difference between chronic enteritis with or without clonal rearrangements. In contrast, dogs histopathologically diagnosed with marked enteritis had a significantly shorter survival time than did those with mild or moderate enteritis. While the significance of PARR in the diagnosis of GI lymphoma remains uncertain, the pathological roles of clonally expanding lymphocytes in canine CE should be investigated further.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25912485/