Publications (2)5.38 Total impact
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Article: Detection of Wolbachia DNA in blood for diagnosing filaria-associated syndromes in cats.
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ABSTRACT: A fundamental role for the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia pipientis in the pathogenesis of Dirofilaria immitis infections has emerged in recent years. Diagnostic opportunities arising from this breakthrough have not yet been fully exploited. This study was aimed at developing conventional and real-time PCR assays to carry out a molecular survey in a convenience sample of cats living in an area where D. immitis is endemic and to evaluate the detection of bacterial DNA in blood as a surrogate assay for diagnosing filaria-associated syndromes in cats. COI and FtsZ loci were used as targets for D. immitis and Wolbachia PCR assays, respectively, and real-time TaqMan PCR assays were used only for Wolbachia. A convenience sample of 307 disease-affected or healthy cats examined at a University facility were PCR tested, and their medical records were investigated. Conventional nested PCR for Wolbachia amplified the endosymbionts of both D. immitis and D. repens, while real-time PCR was highly specific only for the former. Observed prevalences of 0.3 and 10.4% were found using conventional nested PCR assays for D. immitis and real-time PCR for Wolbachia, respectively. Similar prevalences were established using the Wolbachia nested PCR (98% concordance with real-time PCR). The group of Wolbachia-positive samples had a significantly higher proportion of subjects with respiratory signs (29.0% versus 9.7%; P = 0.002). The findings of this study indicate that a highly sensitive PCR assay can be used to detect the Wolbachia organism in the peripheral blood of cats with respiratory signs.Journal of clinical microbiology 05/2012; 50(8):2624-30. · 4.16 Impact Factor -
Article: Frequency of the allelic variant of the PTPLA gene responsible for centronuclear myopathy in Labrador Retriever dogs as assessed in Italy.
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ABSTRACT: Centronuclear myopathy (CNM) is an autosomal recessive hereditary disease affecting Labrador Retriever dogs. The disease is characterized by muscle lesions, typically encompassing reduction in the number and atrophy of type II fibers, and is caused by a short interspersed repeat element insertion in exon 2 of the protein tyrosine phosphatase-like member A. The actual allele frequency is unknown; a study was undertaken to ascertain it using a convenience-sample population composed of 217 Labrador Retrievers. In addition to 3 subjects already diagnosed with CNM, used as positive controls for polymerase chain reaction, only 2 unrelated dogs were heterozygous wild-type/mutation (wild-type/mut). Thus, the frequency of the CNM allele observed in the present study was 1.8% and 0.47% when including and excluding the 3 mut/mut homozygous cases, respectively. Based on the Hardy-Weinberg exact test (P = 1.00), the genotype frequency without the CNM-affected dogs was in agreement with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Assuming the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium law, the expected frequency of the homozygous mutated genotype was calculated to be approximately 0.00005, which corresponds to 1 case of CNM out of 20,000 dogs. In conclusion, the present study indicates that the CNM allele is present but rare in a convenience sample of Labrador Retrievers in Italy.Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation: official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc 01/2011; 23(1):124-6. · 1.21 Impact Factor
