Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Detecting bacteria in cats with inflammatory liver disease using FISH
By Twedt, David C et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2014·1Colorado State University, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of fluorescence in situ hybridization for the detection of bacteria in feline inflammatory liver disease.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with inflammatory liver disease (ILD) was studied to see if bacteria were present in their livers. Out of 39 cats with ILD, 13 had bacteria found in their liver tissue, while only 1 out of 17 healthy cats showed similar results. The bacteria were often found near blood vessels and in the liver itself, with Escherichia coli being the most common type. Many of the cats with bacteria also had other health issues, particularly related to their pancreas and intestines. This suggests that bacteria might play a role in the development of liver disease in these cats.
Abstract
The etiopathogenesis of feline inflammatory liver disease (ILD) is unclear. Therefore, we sought to determine the presence and distribution of bacteria within the livers of cats with ILD using eubacterial fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Histopathology from 39 cats with ILD and 19 with histologically normal livers (C) were classified using World Small Animal Veterinary Association guidelines. Hepatic sections were examined by 16 and 23S ribosomal RNA FISH. Antibodies against cytokeratins and factor VIIIa were used to distinguish bile ducts and vascular structures. Histopathologic findings included non-specific reactive hepatitis (12), neutrophilic cholangitis (NC; 12), lymphocytic cholangitis (seven), cholestasis/obstruction (three), probable lymphoma (three) and acute hepatitis (two). Bacteria were observed in 21/39 ILD and 3/19 C (P = 0.0054). In 8/39 ILD and 2/19 C bacteria were restricted to the outer liver capsule (P = 0.29) and may represent contaminants. The prevalence of intrahepatic bacteria was higher (P = 0.008) in ILD (13/31) than C (1/17). Bacteria in ILD were more frequently (P <0.0001) localized to portal vessels, venous sinusoids and parenchyma (12/13) than bile duct (1/13). Bacterial colonization was highest in Escherichia coli-positive NC cats. Concurrent non-hepatic disease, predominantly pancreatic and intestinal (8/10 cats biopsied), was present in all 13 cats with intrahepatic bacteria. Bacterial culture was positive (predominantly E coli and Enterococcus species) in 11/23 (48%) samples, and concurred with FISH in 15/23 cases. The presence of intrahepatic bacteria in 13/31 (41%) cats with ILD suggests a role in etiopathogenesis. The distribution of bacteria within the liver supports the possibility of colonization via either enteric translocation or hematogenous seeding.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23884636/