Publications

BACKGROUND Activated clotting times (ACT) are measured to titrate anticoagulant dose during intravascular procedures. Point-of-care (POC) analyzers could improve test practicality and accuracy compared to manual tests, but a reference interval (RI) for dogs is lacking. OBJECTIVES To establish a RI for ACT in adult dogs using a POC analyzer, to quantify longitudinal intra-subject variability and to investigate device reliability and inter-device ...

BACKGROUND Combretastatin A4-phosphate (CA4P) is a vascular disrupting agent recently described for treatment of solid tumors in dogs. Conventional echocardiography did not show signs of cardiotoxicity. However, the gold standard for assessing myocardial damage in humans receiving cardiotoxic chemotherapeutics is two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE). HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the ...

The pseudorabies virus (PRV) vaccine strain Bartha has been and still is critical in the eradication of PRV in numerous countries. However, little is known about how this vaccine strain interacts with host cells and the host immune system. Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is a porcine alphaherpesvirus and the causative agent of Aujeszky's disease. Successful eradication campaigns against PRV have largely relied on the use of potent PRV vaccines. The ...

Respiratory disease in horses is caused by a multifactorial complex of infectious agents and environmental factors. An important pathogen in horses is equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). During co-evolution with this ancient alphaherpesvirus, the horseU+2019s respiratory tract has developed multiple antiviral barriers. However, these barriers can become compromised by environmental threats. Pollens and mycotoxins enhance mucosal susceptibility to ...

Rotavirus A (RVA) is an important pathogen causing acute gastroenteritis in animals and humans. Attachment to the host receptor is a crucial step for virus replication. The VP8* domain is the distal terminal region of the RVA spike protein VP4 (expressed by the P gene) and is important for rotavirus binding and infectivity. Recent studies have indicated a role for non-sialylated glycans, including mucin core 2 and histo-blood group antigens ...

Simple Summary Combretastatin A4-phosphate is a chemotherapeutic drug which has been evaluated for treatment of solid canine tumors. Previous studies reported cardiotoxic effects based on changes in cardiac troponin I measurements, blood pressure, and electrocardiography. We evaluated the cardiotoxic effect by two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography. This advanced imaging technique analyzes global and regional myocardial function and ...

Background: Diagnosis as well as management of arrhythmias in dogs can be challenging for veterinary practitioners. The aim was to describe ECG availability and use, as wellas the diagnostic and therapeutic experiences and preferences of Flemish veterinarians regarding cardiac arrhythmias in dogs. Methods: Cross-sectional online survey among veterinarians in Flanders (Belgium). Results: An ECG device was available for 55 out of 102 respondents ...

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) has a highly restricted cellular tropism. In vivo, the virus primarily infects tissue-specific macrophages in the nose, lungs, tonsils, and pharyngeal lymphoid tissues. In vitro however, the MARC-145 cell line is one of the few PRRSV susceptible cell lines that are routinely used for in vitro propagation. Previously, several PRRSV non-permissive cell lines were shown to become ...

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps(CRSwNP) is generally associated with severe type 2 immune reactions in the white population. However, recent findings suggest an additional role for neutrophils in severe type 2 inflammation. Objective: This study aimed to characterize the neutrophilic inflammation in CRSwNP and its relation to eosinophilic inflammation in severe type 2 immune reactions. Methods: The presence and activation of ...

For over 100 years after the description of the first case of African swine fever (ASF) in Kenya, ASF virus (ASFV) cross-border spread in eastern and southern Africa has not been fully investigated. In this manuscript, we reviewed systematically the available literature on molecular epidemiology of ASF in Tanzania and its eight neighboring countries in order to establish the transmission dynamics of ASFV between these countries. Data were ...