A study was carried out to test the accuracy and consistency of veterinary pathologists, not specialists in hematopathology, in applying the World Health Organization (WHO) system of classification of canine lymphomas. This study represents an initiative of the ACVP Oncology Committee, and the classification has been endorsed by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WASVA). Tissue biopsies from cases of canine lymphoma were received from veterinary oncologists, and a study by pathologists given only signalment was carried out on 300 cases. Twenty pathologists reviewed these 300 cases with each required to choose a diagnosis from a list of 43 B and T cell lymphomas. Three of the 20 were hematopathologists who determined the consensus diagnosis for each case. The 17 who formed the test group were experienced but not specialists in hematopathology, and most were diplomates of the American or European Colleges of Veterinary Pathology. The overall accuracy of the 17 pathologists on the 300 cases was 83%. When the analysis was limited to the 6 most common diagnoses, containing 80% of all cases, accuracy rose to 87%. In a test of reproducibility enabled by reintroducing 5% of cases entered under a different identity, the overall agreement between the first and second diagnosis ranged from 40 to 87%. The statistical review included 43,000 data points for each of the 20 pathologists.

The Sysmex XT-2000iV automated differential leukocyte count performed well with most samples from diseased dogs, cats, and horses. Basophils were not detected. Immature neutrophils or prominent toxic changes often induced errors in samples from cats and dogs.

BackgroundMeasurement of C-reactive protein (CRP) is used for diagnosing and monitoring systemic inflammatory disease in canine patients. An automated human immunoturbidimetric assay has been validated for measuring canine CRP, but cross-reactivity with canine CRP is unpredictable.ObjectiveThe purpose of the study was to validate a new automated canine-specific immunoturbidimetric CRP method (Gentian cCRP).MethodsStudies of imprecision, accuracy, prozone effect, interference, limit of quantification, and stability under different storage conditions were performed. The new method was compared with a human CRP assay previously validated for canine CRP determination. Samples from 40 healthy dogs were analyzed to establish a reference interval.ResultsTotal imprecision was < 2.4% for 4 tested serum pools analyzed twice daily over 10 days. The method was linear under dilution, and no prozone effect was detected at a concentration of 1200 mg/L. Recovery after spiking serum with purified canine CRP at 2 different concentrations was 123% and 116%, respectively. No interference from hemoglobin or triglycerides (10 g/L) was detected. CRP was stable for 14 days at 4°C and 22°C. In the method comparison study, there was good agreement between the validated human CRP assay and the new canine-specific assay. Healthy dogs had CRP concentrations that were less than the limit of quantification of the Gentian cCRP method (6.8 mg/L).ConclusionsThe new canine-specific immunoturbidimetric CRP assay is a reliable and rapid method for measuring canine CRP, suitable for clinical use due to the option for an automated assay.

The Sysmex XT-2000iV performed as well as the CELL-DYN on blood samples from dogs, cats, and horses with a variety of hematologic abnormalities. In addition, the Sysmex detected large platelets and provided accurate reticulocyte counts.

Background: The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) has recently been suggested to play a role in the development of naturally acquired myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) in dogs.Aim: To investigate the association between serum 5-HT concentration and MMVD severity in dogs, and to assess potential associations between serum 5-HT concentrations and dog characteristics, echocardiographic variables, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, presence of macrothrombocytosis, and plateletcrit.Animals: A total of 120 client-owned dogs. Material and Methods: Dogs were prospectively recruited and were classified by standard echocardiography into healthy (dogs of breeds predisposed to MMVD, but without echocardiographic evidence of the disease), mild, moderate, or severe MMVD groups. Serum 5-HT concentrations were analyzed using an ELISA.Results: Dogs with severe MMVD had lower serum 5-HT concentrations than healthy dogs (P = .0025) and dogs with mild MMVD (P = .0011). Unilinear and multiple regression analyses showed that serum 5-HT concentrations decreased with increasing left atrial to aortic root ratio (LA/Ao), were higher in Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS) dogs compared to dogs of other breeds, and were higher in female dogs than in male dogs. The LA/Ao was the variable most strongly associated with serum 5-HT concentration.Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The finding of higher serum 5-HT concentrations in dogs of breeds predisposed to the early onset of MMVD (CKCS) and dogs with mild MMVD suggests that alterations in 5-HT signaling might play a role in progression of early stages of MMVD.

No abstract

Standardization of tumor assessment lays the foundation for validation of grading systems, permits reproducibility of oncologic studies among investigators, and increases confidence in the significance of study results. Currently, there is minimal methodological standardization for assessing tumors in veterinary medicine, with few attempts to validate published protocols and grading schemes. The current article attempts to address these shortcomings by providing standard guidelines for tumor assessment parameters and protocols for evaluating specific tumor types. More detailed information is available in the Supplemental Files, the intention of which is 2-fold: publication as part of this commentary, but more importantly, these will be available as “living documents” on a website ( www.vetcancerprotocols.org ), which will be updated as new information is presented in the peer-reviewed literature. Our hope is that veterinary pathologists will agree that this initiative is needed, and will contribute to and utilize this information for routine diagnostic work and oncologic studies. Journal editors and reviewers can utilize checklists to ensure publications include sufficient detail and standardized methods of tumor assessment. To maintain the relevance of the guidelines and protocols, it is critical that the information is periodically updated and revised as new studies are published and validated with the intent of providing a repository of this information. Our hope is that this initiative (a continuation of efforts published in this journal in 2011) will facilitate collaboration and reproducibility between pathologists and institutions, increase case numbers, and strengthen clinical research findings, thus ensuring continued progress in veterinary oncologic pathology and improving patient care.

Background: Many Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS) dogs are affected by an autosomal recessive dysplasia of platelets resulting in fewer but larger platelets. The IDEXX Vet Autoread (QBC) hematology analyzer directly measures the relative volume of platelets in a blood sample (plateletcrit). We hypothesized that CKCS both with and without hereditary macrothrombocytosis would have a normal plateletcrit and that the QBC results would better identify the total circulating volume of platelets in CKSC than methods directly enumerating platelet numbers. Objectives: The major purpose of this study was to compare the QBC platelet results with platelet counts from other automated and manual methods for evaluating platelet status in CKCS dogs. Methods: Platelet counts were determined in fresh EDTA blood from 27 adult CKCS dogs using the QBC, Sysmex XT-2000iV (optical and impedance), CELL-DYN 3500, blood smear estimate, and manual methods. Sysmex optical platelet counts were reanalyzed following gating to determine the number and percentage of normal-and large-sized platelets in each blood sample. Results: None of the 27 CKCS dogs had thrombocytopenia (defined as o 164 Â 10 9 platelets/L) based on the QBC platelet count. Fourteen (52%) to 18 (66%) of the dogs had thrombocytopenia with other methods. The percentage of large platelets, as determined by regating the Sysmex optical platelet counts, ranged from 1% to 75%, in a gradual continuum. Conclusions: The QBC may be the best analyzer for assessing clinically relevant thrombocytopenia in CKCS dogs, because its platelet count is based on the plateletcrit, a measurement of platelet mass.