T cells undergo a complex program of development in order to become effective mediators of immunity. Cells at each stage of T cell development have the potential to become neoplastic while retaining many of the characteristics of their non-neoplastic counterparts. Identifying the normal counterpart of different T cell lymphomas can help explain the clinical signs associated with these diseases and give us insight into pathogenesis. Gene expression profiling has revealed the cell of origin of many human T cell lymphomas. Lymphoma arising from Th1, Th2 and follicular helper T cells, as well as granular leukocytes and a variety of other stages of T cell development have been identified. T cell lymphoma is more prevalent in dogs than in people, and we are beginning to identify the cell of origin of these different types as well, using gene expression and functional studies. Characterization of these tumor types in dogs and comparison with their normal counterparts have given us insight into T cell function. Comparison of canine T cell lymphomas with human disease can help position the dog as a model for novel therapies.
Several diagnostic tests are available for diagnosis of immune mediated hematologic and other diseases in dogs and cats. This presentation will discuss commonly available immunodiagnostic tests and evaluate their utility in diagnosis of immune mediated diseases. Diagnostic tools including the direct antiglobulin test, antinuclear antibody, and flow cytometry will be evaluated in a case-based approach.
This presentation will provide an overview of the immune system, including contemporary views on innate and adaptive immunity and their crosstalk; pathogen recognition and clearance; regulation of the immune response; and autoimmunity. It is intended to provide an update for clinicians and specialists-in-training.
Co-Chairs of the Consensus Statement panel on Diagnosis and Treatment of Immune Thrombocytopenia in Dogs and Cats will present an overview of key diagnostic P(E)CO format questions (Patient population, Exposure/Evaluation, Comparator, Outcomes) focused on the workup of dogs and cats with ITP. In this session we will provide guidelines for useful tests for diagnosis of ITP and prediction of ITP disease severity. We will also summarize quantitative and qualitative evidence for comorbidities as a cause for ITP and the subsequent screening guidelines we have developed for routine ITP workup in small animal patients. All recommendations were generated by a systematic review of available primary veterinary literature and revised with an extensive Delphi process.
Dr. Goggs, a member of the ACVIM ITP Consensus Committee will present an overview of the therapeutic recommendations for management of immune thrombocytopenia that were generated by a systematic review of available primary veterinary literature and revised with an extensive Delphi process. This session will provide real-world illustrations of the application of the new guidelines in a case-based format.
Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is increasingly described as a treatment for select immune mediated conditions in human and veterinary medicine given its ability to remove pathologic immune components such as antibody. In TPE patient plasma is separated from the other blood components, discarded, and replaced with a replacement solution. In human medicine, immunologic disorders in which TPE is accepted as first- or second-line therapy, in combination with immunosuppression, include myasthenia gravis, and severe auto-immune hemolytic anemia, respectively. This lecture will provide a background to the process of TPE, briefly review the American Society for Apheresis guidelines, summarise the veterinary literature on the use of TPE for immunologic disorders, and include case examples.
In this talk we will discuss novel approaches to treatment of FIP, including in vitro drug screening, pharmacokinetic studies, and preliminary results of clinical trials in cats with naturally occurring FIP.
The presentation will review the clinical manifestation of common large animal immunologic disorders. The information will prompt the clinician to consider underlying immunologic conditions in their lists of differential diagnoses, and describe how to select diagnostics. The review may be of interest to residents pursuing clinical training and board certification.
Bovine respiratory disease is a prevalent cause of sickness and death in cattle. Historically, much effort has focused on development of vaccines to prevent infection by viral and bacterial agents that contribute to respiratory disease. However, despite decades of vaccine research, this disease complex continues to exert a major negative impact on bovine health. Recent research investigating whole blood transcriptomes of cattle at high risk for respiratory disease suggests that inflammation-limiting responses may be key to disease resistance in some cattle. Preliminary results indicating a role for specific pro-resolving mediators in bovine respiratory disease resistance will be reviewed.