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ABSTRACT. Theileria orientalis is one of the benign species of Theileria that is widely distributed in Japan and is sometimes responsible for serious economic losses in the livestock industry. In the present study, we surveyed the current status of T. orientalis infection in grazing cattle in the eastern areas of Hokkaido (Taiki, Otofuke, Shintoku, and Shin-Hidaka districts) using molecular methods, as well as traditional methods, of diagnosis. The genes encoding the major piroplasm surface protein (MPSP) and p23 of T. orientalis were identified using highly detectable polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results of the MPSP-PCR assay indicated that grazing cattle in these districts, after about 1.5 months pasturage, showed high rates of infection, ranging from 10.0-64.8%. Although the main MPSP and p23 genotypes detected were the Ikeda-or Chitose-types, an MPSP gene closely relating to that found in Okinawa prefecture, and a p23 gene closely relating to the Australian (Warwick) Buffeli-type gene, were found in the cattle in Shintoku and Shin-Hidaka districts. The present survey indicated that there were at least five types of T. orientalis classified by their MPSP genes in Hokkaido, Japan, and that T. orientalis infection rates are still high in this region.

ABSTRACT. The concentration of feline serum amyloid A (fSAA) was determined by a direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) by using fSAA specific monoclonal antibodies, to evaluate the fSAA as an inflammatory marker in cats. The mean concentration ± standard deviation of fSAA was found to be 0.60 ± 1.06 µg/ml and 33.65 ± 67.59 µg/ml in serum samples from normal cats (n=45) and cats (n=312) with various diseases and disorders, respectively. A significant difference (p<0.001) was found between the two groups. It was also found that the concentration of fSAA begins to increase rapidly at approximately 3-6 hr after spay, and increases up to significantly high levels in some disorders, like injury, renal failure, infectious diseases, etc. KEY WORDS: feline, inflammatory marker, serum amyloid A (SAA).J. Vet. Med. Sci. 65(4): 545-548, 2003 The acute phase response is the initial response to inflammatory stimuli such as infection, trauma, tumors and surgery. One characteristic feature of this response is increased hepatic synthesis of a heterogeneous group of plasma proteins termed as acute phase protein, which include C-reactive proteins (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin, and α1-acid glycoprotein, etc. CRP and SAA, the major acute phase proteins in human, exhibit a dramatic increase in serum concentration in response to inflammatory stimuli, thus have been used as inflammatory markers in human medicine [18].SAA, a serum precursor of amyloid A which is the main fibrillar component in reactive amyloid deposits [7], has been characterized as a heterogeneous protein in human [16] and other several species [3,5,13,15,19,25]. The high degree of conservation of the SAA genes and proteins that have been maintained through evolution of eutherian mammals [20], provides further evidence that they are likely to have important biological functions. The normal physiological function of SAA, which constitutes a major component of the high density lipoprotein 3 complex [1], remains unclear, though it is assumed to have a crucial, yet illdefined, protective role during inflammation [21].Plasma SAA levels can be increased up to 100-fold of the basal level in inflammatory disorders in human [22] and other species [6,24], suggesting it to be an important indicator of disease status. However, whether feline SAA (fSAA) can be used as an inflammatory marker or not, has not been well evaluated yet. Earlier, we have expressed the recombinant feline SAA (rfSAA) [12], and produced the fSAA specific monoclonal antibodies [14]. Those materials gave us an idea to evaluate if fSAA could be used as an inflammatory marker in cats. In order to measure the concentration of SAA, a considerable number of assays, such as laser immunonephelometric assay [4], latex agglutination nephelometric im m u no a ssa y [2 3 ], san d wic h e n zy m e-lin k ed immunosorbent assay (ELISA) [10,24], single radial immunodiffusion [11], non-competitive chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay [6] and direct ELISA [17] have been developed in human and other spe...

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was performed on 21 presumed normal Beagle-type dogs. The size and symmetry of their lateral ventricles were evaluated and dogs were categorized on the basis of the percentage of their ventricular height (Vh) to brain height (Bh) and the ratio of the largest to the smallest ventricular area (rVA). Eleven dogs had lateral ventricles classified as normal sized (0-14% Vh/Bh) while 10 of 21 dogs had moderate enlargement (15-25% Vh/Bh) of one or both lateral ventricles. None of the dogs had severe lateral ventricular enlargement. Degree of asymmetry was also arbitrarily categorized on basis of rVA as normal to minimal (rVA < 1.5), mild (1.5 < rVA < 2.0), or severe (2.0 < rVA). Of the dogs having normal-sized lateral ventricles, six of eleven had symmetric, three of eleven had mildly asymmetric and two of eleven had severely asymmetric lateral ventricles. Of the dogs having at least one moderately enlarged lateral ventricles, five of ten had symmetric lateral ventricles, and two of ten had mild asymmetry and three of ten had severe asymmetry. Gender and body weight had no statistical relationship to lateral ventricle symmetry. Clinically insignificant ventricular enlargement and asymmetry was common in this group of Beagle dogs.