A 5-year-old castrated male domestic shorthair cat was referred for further investigation of pulmonary nodules incidentally detected on thoracic radiographs. Thoracic radiographs identified ill-defined soft tissue opacity nodules with small faint mineral opacity. Thoracic computed tomography (CT) revealed that bronchial dilation and bronchial wall thickening in bilateral cranial and accessory lung lobes. Round to ellipsoid mineralized concretions were found embedded in the intrabronchial soft tissue attenuation material. Based on radiography, CT, and cytology, the patient was tentatively diagnosed as having broncholithiasis with chronic bronchitis. This report described the CT diagnosis of broncholithiasis, which has been rarely reported in a cat.

Objective: To evaluate protein expression in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) obtained from West Highland White Terriers with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), dogs with chronic bronchitis, and healthy control dogs to identify potential biomarkers for IPF. Samples: BALF samples obtained from 6 West Highland White Terriers with histologically confirmed IPF, 5 dogs with chronic bronchitis, and 4 healthy Beagles. Procedures: Equal amounts of proteins in concentrated BALF samples were separated via 2-D differential gel electrophoresis. Proteins that were differentially expressed relative to results for healthy control dogs were identified with mass spectrometry and further verified via western blotting. Results: Expression of 6 proteins was upregulated and that of 1 protein was downregulated in dogs with IPF or chronic bronchitis, compared with results for healthy dogs. Expression of proteins β-actin, complement C3, α-1-antitrypsin, apolipoprotein A-1, haptoglobin, and transketolase was upregulated, whereas expression of lysozyme C was downregulated. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Proteomics can be used to search for biomarkers and to reveal disease-specific mechanisms. The quantitative comparison of proteomes for BALF obtained from dogs with IPF and chronic bronchitis and healthy dogs revealed similar changes for the dogs with IPF and chronic bronchitis, which suggested a common response to disease processes in otherwise different lung diseases. Specific biomarkers for IPF were not identified.

Four groups of one-day-old SPF chicks were inoculated with the four IBV variants at 1 day old to study the virulence of these isolates. The results at 2 weeks post infection (PI) revealed that all isolates were able to induce serological resposne postinfection, respiratory distress and depression. 20% and 100% mortalities were recorded with isolates 4 and 23; respectively. Assessment of pathogenicity index and pathotyping (at the end of observation period “2wk-PI”), categorized the 4 tested isoaltes (4, 16,18, 23) into three isoaltes of high virulence (4, 18 and 23), and one isolate of intermediate virulence (16). About 50% reduction in body weight was recorded with the four IBV isolates 2 wk PI. Kidney lesions were nephritis-nephrosis with urate deposition in ureters, while microscopic lesions were associated with increase in the amount of rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). Tracheal lesions recorded as increase the amount of mucin, while microscopic lesions were edema of mucosa and inflammatory cells in the lamina propria. The regime of administering the infectious bronchitis (IB) live commercial H120 vaccine at 1 day old SPF chicks, and the heterologous challenge with four variants (serotypes) at 4 weeks of age, was found to be poorly effective in protecting the respiratory tract of SPF chickens with protection percentages of 8.1%, 55%, 10.5% and 12.6% corresponding to field isolates of IBV 4, 16, 18 and 23; respectively. Protection was measured by assessing ciliary activity of the tracheal epithelium following challenge. It is suggested that the use of the live IB-H120 vaccine will not always broaden the protection against challenge with IB multiple serotypes isolated from Egypt. Therefore it is necessary to develop a new IB vaccines, either locally prepared or imported to overcome any new IB serotype that were emerged, through modifying vaccination strategies to make them appropriate to the field situation.

Monvalent inactivated oil-emulsion, Newcastle disease virus (NDV), infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) and Haemophilus paragallinarum vaccines as well as a trivalent one (NDV + IBV + HP) were prepared. The cellular and humoral immune responses of chicken to these vaccines were evaluated by using lymphocytes blastogenesis assay, haemagglutination-inhibition, serum neutralization, tube agglutination and challenge tests. The results showed that the trivalent vaccine was safe, efficient as monovalent vaccines and protected chicken against Newcastle, Infectious bronchitis and infectious coryza

Twenty five isolates of IBV were isolated from 36 broiler and layer chicken farms collected from 13 governorates during 2 years started from January 2003. All the examined farms were vaccinated using the commercial live IB-H120 vaccine in addition to the IB-inactivated vaccine in the layer farm. The viruses were isolated and identified previously by chicken embryo, CEK cell culture inoculation. Isolates subjected to RT-PCR. Four isolates; three broiler farms and one from layer farm were genotyped using S1 partial gene sequencing. Typing of the four isolates using S1 partial gene sequencing, revealed that the isolated IBV strains showed homology to Asia, Europe, USA and Middle East strains.

To analyze and identify selected risk factors for infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) infection in the growing and laying period of laying-hen flocks, a longitudinal field study was conducted with 27 commercial flocks reared in three provinces of Korea during the period from May 2003 to April 2004. Using monitored data for IBV infection status among study flocks we computed the multivariate odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding confidence intervals (CIs), and population attributable risks (PARs). Multivariate logistic regression showed significant risk increments for: continuous entry of chick (OR=1.9, 95% CI, 0.7-69.1) and operation years of the layer house greater than or equal to 5 years (OR=3.2, 95%CI, 1.6-389.9).

Influence of potassium orotate on hematological, immunomorphological indexes and and marrowy myelopoiesis of broiler chickens in the process of oral associated immunization against infectious bronchitis and poultry Newcastle disease was investigated in the conditions of the Republic of Belarus. There were studied 60 broiler chickens divided into 3 groups: one control group and two experimental ones. Research results established that potassium orotate application in combination with associated poultry immunization against infectious bronchitis and Newcastle disease increased the number of leucocytes and the volume of adenoid tissue as well as raised the lymphocytes density in thymus and bursa of Fabricius. In the bone marrow aspirates in 7 days after immunization in the control group there was stated the increasing of basophilic myelocytes number in comparison with the second experimental group. In 14 days in the control group there was noted the increasing of a total number of basophiles. In 21 days after immunization there were stated no considerable changes in the composition of basophil cells in the experimental groups. Research results showed that potassium orotate intensively stimulated the development of plasmocytic reaction in the conditions of multipartial immunization

Immunomorphological changes in young hens vaccinated with an associated inactivated emulsion vaccine against bursal disease, infectious bronchitis and Newcasle disease was realized in the conditions of the Republic of Belarus. Replacement young hens of 130-158 days old were divided into 2 groups with 200 head in each according the analogue principle. At the age of 130 days old the first experimental group of chickens was immunized against bursal disease, infectious bronchitis and Newcasle disease with a liquid inactive emulsion vaccine (produced in the republic of Belarus) in dose of 0,5 ml intramuscularly. In course of the experiment chickens from each group were killed on the third, seventh, fourteenth, twenty-first and twenty-eighth days. For the analysis of immunomorphological reaction there were tested tissue pieces from the places of vaccine administration, as well as thymus, bursa of Fabritius, lien, cecal tonsils and Garder's gland. Research results showed that in tissues in places of the vaccine administration there were developed hemorrhages, serous inflammatory edema, necrobiosis and necrosis of muscular fibers, inflammatory cellular infiltration, and moderate plasmocytic reaction. At a later stage at the places of damaged structures there was noted the development of granulation tissue with presence of some lymphoid nodules. In response to vaccination in the central organs of poultry immunity there was stated the sinuated changes of morphological indexes. Immunization of chickens against infectious bursal disease, infectious bronchitis and Newcasle disease promoted the increasing of absolute weight of lien, activation of blastic and plasmocytic reaction in bursa of Fabritius and lien and did not render substantial influence on immunomorphological indexes of cecal tonsils and Garder's gland