Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Matrix metalloproteinase mRNA levels in dog anal furunculosis lesions
By House, A K et al.·Published in Veterinary immunology and immunopathology·2007·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Matrix metalloproteinase mRNA expression in canine anal furunculosis lesions.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old German Shepherd was diagnosed with anal furunculosis, a painful condition causing sores around the anus. The dog's symptoms included discomfort and difficulty defecating. After starting treatment with ciclosporin, an immunosuppressive medication, the lesions began to heal significantly. The study found that certain proteins related to inflammation were elevated in the affected tissue, suggesting that the immune system was overactive in this case. With the right treatment, the dog's condition improved, leading to a better quality of life.
People also search for: dog anal furunculosis treatment · German Shepherd skin problems · ciclosporin for dogs
Abstract
Although the aetiology of anal furunculosis (AF) in dogs is poorly understood, there is evidence for an underlying immune dysfunction. This is illustrated by the presence of a T helper type 1 cytokine mRNA profile in AF lesions and the clinical response to ciclosporin therapy. Expression of MMPs 2, 9 and 13 were evaluated in AF lesional biopsies by real-time quantitative RT-PCR. There was significantly increased expression of both MMP-9 and MMP-13 mRNA in AF biopsies compared to controls (p<0.001) but no significant difference in MMP-2 mRNA expression. Since MMP-9 and MMP-13 are primarily produced by macrophages, these data suggest that ulceration could be the result of aberrant activation of this cell type in the tissues. It is feasible that such pathological macrophage activity occurs in response to interferon-gamma secreted by T helper type 1 cells. This could explain why the lesions resolve following treatment with the immunosuppressive drug ciclosporin.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17125846/