Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
COX-2 levels in intestines of cats with bowel disease and lymphoma
By Castro-López, Jorge et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2018·Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cyclooxygenase-2 immunoexpression in intestinal epithelium and lamina propria of cats with inflammatory bowel disease and low grade alimentary lymphoma.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and low-grade alimentary lymphoma (LGAL) showed increased levels of a protein called COX-2 in their intestinal lining compared to healthy cats. This protein is often linked to inflammation and may play a role in the healing process. While the study found that COX-2 levels were higher in the cats with these conditions, it did not find significant differences between the sick cats themselves. The findings suggest that COX-2 could be important in understanding how these diseases affect cats, but more research is needed to clarify its role.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) is an inducible isoform by cellular activation, proinflammatory cytokines and growth factors. The aims of the current study were to evaluate COX-2 immunoexpression in epithelial and lamina propria (LP) of cats with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and low grade alimentary lymphoma (LGAL), as well as to correlate them with clinical signs and histopathological scoring. Cats diagnosed with IBD and LGAL (2007-2013) were included in the current study. Feline chronic enteropathy activity index (FCEAI) was calculated for all cases. Control group was composed by 3 healthy indoor cats and 5 sick cats died or were euthanized (non-gastrointestinal illness). Diagnosis and classification of IBD and LGAL was established according to the WSAVA gastrointestinal standardization group template and the National Cancer Institute formulation, respectively. Furthermore, a modified WSAVA template was applied for LGAL evaluation. Immunolabelling for COX-2 (polyclonal rabbit anti-murine antibody) was performed on biopsy samples. Epithelial and LP (inflammatory or neoplastic cells) COX-2 immunolabelling was calculated according to the grade and intensity. The most representative segment scored by the WSAVA and the modified WSAVA were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Significant difference was found regarding COX-2 intensity overexpression in the epithelial cells of IBD and LGAL groups when compared to control cats, but not between the groups of sick cats, whereas no differences were found regarding the grade of immunoreactivity between groups. No difference was found for COX-2 immunoexpression at the LP between all groups. However, 3 cats from LGAL group showed COX-2 expression in neoplastic cells at the LP. There were no correlations between epithelial or LP COX-2 expression and FCEAI and histological alterations. CONCLUSIONS: Increased COX-2 intensity at the epithelial cells observed in cats with IBD and LGAL may be secondary to the inflammatory response or a protective function in the intestinal reparation. COX-2 expression at the LP was presented in 33% of LGAL. This result provides a reason for further investigation concerning the role of COX-2 expression in feline alimentary lymphoma.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29764431/