Measurement of IL-12 (p40, p35), IL-23p19, and IFN-gamma mRNA in Duodenal Biopsies of Cats with Inflammatory Enteropathy

N. E. Waly*, I. R. Peters, M. J. Day, C. R. Stokes, M. Bailey, T. J. Gruffydd-Jones

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

BackgroundDietary hypersensitivity and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are important causes of chronic vomiting and diarrhea in cats. IL-23 has been recently found to be a key factor in the immunopathogenesis of IBD in humans but the involvement in IBD has not been investigated in cats.

Hypothesis/ObjectivesExpression of genes encoding Il-12p35 and p40, IL-23p19, and IFN- may be up-regulated in duodenal biopsy specimens taken from cats with histologic evidence of inflammation.

Animals and MethodsDuodenal biopsy specimens were collected from control cats (n=21) and cats with inflammatory enteropathy (n=13). Routine histopathology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and qRT-PCR were used to assess expression of MHC class II and to measure gene transcripts encoding the p35, p40, and p19 subunits of the IL-12 family of cytokines and IFN-.

ResultsThere were significant differences in expression of mRNA encoding IL-12p35 and IL-23p19 between healthy cats and cats with inflammatory enteropathy. IL-12p35 mRNA was lower in the duodenal mucosa of cats with inflammatory enteropathy compared with the mucosa of healthy cats (P=.001). In contrast, IL-23p19 mRNA expression was higher in duodenal biopsy specimens from cats with inflammatory enteropathy than in those from healthy controls (P=.001). There was no difference in expression of IL-12p40 and IFN- mRNA (P>.05). The majority of cats with inflammatory enteropathy had histologic evidence of moderate to severe colitis (score 2).

Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceThe results of this preliminary study suggest that IL-23 plays a role in the pathogenesis of feline inflammatory enteropathy.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)42-47
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Volume28
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2014

Keywords

  • Dietary hypersensitivity
  • Food-responsive diarrhea
  • GALT
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • IMMUNE CELL-POPULATIONS
  • BOWEL-DISEASE
  • PATHOGENESIS
  • ASSOCIATION
  • SUBSETS
  • COLITIS
  • MUCOSA
  • DOGS
  • IL23

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