Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Helicobacter infection linked to liver problems in dogs
By Takemura, L S et al.·Published in Brazilian journal of microbiology : [publication of the Brazilian Society for Microbiology]·2019·School of Veterinary Medicine, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Helicobacter infection in the hepatobiliary system and hepatic lesions: a possible association in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with liver problems was tested for Helicobacter infection, a type of bacteria often found in the stomach. Out of 33 dogs with liver issues, 21.2% had signs of Helicobacter in their liver samples, with chronic hepatitis being the most common liver problem. The study suggests that these bacteria might be linked to liver diseases in dogs, possibly moving from the stomach to the liver through the bile ducts. While the exact treatment wasn't detailed, identifying the infection could help veterinarians decide on the best course of action for affected dogs.
People also search for: dog liver disease symptoms · Helicobacter infection in dogs · chronic hepatitis treatment for dogs
Abstract
Helicobacter infection has been associated with hepatobiliary diseases in humans and animals. The aims of this study were to identify Helicobacter species in the hepatobiliary tract of dogs and to elucidate the possible association of these bacteria in liver diseases. Twenty-seven gastric and hepatobiliary samples were collected from 33 dogs with hepatic lesions and 17 dogs with no liver histological changes. Warthin-Starry staining, immunohistochemical assay, and PCR were performed to detect the presence of Helicobacter. Helicobacter genus was detected in 21.2% of the samples with hepatic lesions. The main lesion was chronic hepatitis. Immunohistochemistry revealed infection in liver (1/5) and gallbladder (1/3) 32 samples. The sequence analysis of seven amplicons of the 16S rRNA gene of Helicobacter genus from hepatobiliary samples showed 97.8 to 100% of nucleotide identity with gastric helicobacter. One amplicon of the ureA and ureB gene of Helicobacter genus from the stomach showed 89.1 to 90.7% nucleotide identity with H. heilmannii. The presence of Helicobacter genus in liver samples showing hepatic lesions suggests the involvement of these bacteria in the etiology of hepatobiliary disease in dogs. DNA sequences were similar to gastric Helicobacter species, reinforcing the hypothesis of bacterial translocation from the stomach to liver by the biliary pathway.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30637645/