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Federica Cagnasso

Phd thesis

Project title: Clinical and clinicopathological characterization of canine and feline chronic enteropathy: the in-field evaluation of inflammatory, microbiomic and metabolomic profiles.  

 

Background

The term canine and feline chronic enteropathies (CE) describe a heterogeneous group of idiopathic diseases characterized by persistent gastrointestinal signs and classified according to the treatment response as food-responsive enteropathy, antibiotic-responsive enteropathy, and immunosuppressive-responsive enteropathy. Inflammatory protein-losing enteropathy (iPLE) is a severe form of CE characterized by loss of proteins into the intestinal lumen. IPLE affects mostly dogs and it is characterized by guarded prognosis, high rate of relapse and poor treatment response. In cats, iPLE is a rare condition and it is commonly related to lymphocytic plasmacytic enteritis (LPE) or small cell lymphoma (SCL). The pathogenesis of CE and iPLE is still unclear but it seems to be multifactorial, arising from a complex interplay of genetic background, environment, intestinal innate and adaptive immune system, intestinal microbiome disbalances. Lymphatic disease and dysbiosis seems to play a key role in iPLE pathogenesis. A deeper comprehension of pathogenetic mechanisms could help the clinician to earlier detect the severer forms of the disease, identify alternative therapeutic approaches and improve the outcome minimizing time and invasiveness. To date, however, there is not still clear consensus about diagnostic utility and prognostic value of gastrointestinal biomarkers.

Specific aims of the project, methods, and results

This project aims to improve diagnostic and therapeutic approach in severe form of canine and feline CE. 

Specifically, the research project consists in four different developments: 

  1. Differentiation of feline LPE and SCL through detection of microbiota perturbations, using 16S rDNA sequencing. This was a prospective observational study. Metagenomic evaluation was not able to discriminate LPE from SCL nor to predict the outcome in our cohort of 20 cats, before and after therapy. 
  2. Retrospective investigation of blood ratios as potential markers of disease activity in 53 dogs with iPLE. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), albumin to globulin ratio (AGR), C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CRP/ALB) were calculated and correlated with disease severity score before and after therapy.  AGR and CRP/ALB were significantly associated with clinical disease activity and response to treatment. Contrary NLR was not associated to clinical disease activity.
  3. Investigation of the effects of inflammation and oxidation on lipid profile in dogs with iPLE. Serum concentrations of C-reactive protein, paraoxonase-1, tryglicerides, cholesterol, and lipoproteins obtained by electrophoretic separation were studied. This was a prospective observational study conducted on 59 serum samples from dogs with iPLE at diagnosis. The more severe the inflammation and oxidation the more lipoproteins, and in particular high-density lipoproteins, are altered.
  4. Investigation of fecal microbiome and metabolome perturbations in dogs with iPLE through sequencing techniques and gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry assay. This was a prospective observational study. Preliminary results show that increased fecal long-chain fatty acids and sterols content reflect lipid dysmetabolism in dogs with iPLE. [

Future developments

The investigation of fat-soluble vitamin metabolism has been defined as an additional development, enhancing the study of lipid profile in dogs with iPLE.   

Research activities

Publications

- Full articles in ISI journals

  • F.Cagnasso, A.Borrelli, E.Bottero, E.Benvenuti, R.Ferriani, V.Marchetti, P.Ruggiero, B.Bruno, C.Maurella and P. Gianella. Comparative Evaluation of Peripheral Blood Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio, Serum Albumin to Globulin Ratio and Serum C-Reactive Protein to Albumin Ratio in Dogs with Inflammatory Protein-Losing Enteropathy and Healthy Dogs. Animals 2023, 13, 484. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030484
  • Accepted for publication: “Strongyloides Stercoralis infection and long-term follow up in a privately -owned dog from north-west of Italy”. Authors: Cagnasso F., Rambozzi L., Miniscalco B., Molinar Min A.R., Borella F., Borrelli A., Gianella  P.  Veterinaria Italiana, October 2022. 

- Full articles in non-ISI journals

  • “Critical review on the usage of antimicrobials and on the restoration of the intestinal environment in canine acute and chronic diarrhea” Authors: 1 Gianella P., 2 Pietra M., 1 Cagnasso F., 2 Galiazzo G., 3 Marchetti V., 3 Pierini A., 4 Boari A., 4 Crisi P. E., 5 Furlanello T., 6 Marchegiani A., 6 Cerquetella M. Veterinaria Year 35, n. 6, December 2021, pg 313-323. 

- Book chapters 

- Congress abstract (with active participation)

  • ORAL PRESENTATION: “Neutrophil to Lymphocyte ratio, Monocyte to Lymphocyte ratio, Platelet to Lymphocyte ratio, Albumin/Globulin ratio and C-Reactive protein/Albumin ratio in dogs with inflammatory protein losing enteropathy”. 75° Convegno SisVet, 15-18 Luglio 2022, Lodi, Italy.
  • POSTER PRESENTATION: “A retrospective evaluation of Neutrophil to Lymphocyte ratio, Monocyte to Lymphocyte ratio and Platelet to Lymphocyte ratio in cats with obstructive uripathy”.  75° Convegno SisVet, 15-18 Luglio 2022, Lodi, Italy.
  • ORAL PRESENTATION: “Microbiomic and metabolomic perturbations in canine protein
  • losing enteropathy: an observational prospective study” EuroGut Congress, 12-13 May 2023, Edinburgh, Scotland.
  • ORAL PRESENTATION: “Relationship between serum lipid profile, clinical and clinicopathological findings in 59 dogs with inflammatory protein-losing enteropathy”. International Scivac Congress, 26-28 May 2023, Rimini, Italy
  • ORAL PRESENTATION: “Investigation of fecal microbiome and metabolome perturbations in dogs with protein-losing enteropathy”. 33rd ECVIM-CA annual congress, 21-23 September 2023, Barcelona, Spain

- Congress abstract (as co-author)

  • POSTER: “Fecal microbiota analysis in cats with inflammatory bowel disease or small cell lymphoma before and after therapy: a prospective comparison study”. 32nd ECVIM-CA Congress, 1-3 September 2022, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Publications

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Last update: 17/10/2023 10:30

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