Measurement of IL-12 (p40, p35), IL-23p19, and IFN-γ mRNA in duodenal biopsies of cats with inflammatory enteropathy.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Dietary 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/OBJECTIVES:

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

ANIMALS AND METHODS:

Duodenal 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-γ.

RESULTS:

There 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-γ mRNA (P > .05). The majority of cats with inflammatory enteropathy had histologic evidence of moderate to severe colitis (score 2).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE:

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

• Authors: N E Waly, I R Peters, M J Day, C R Stokes, M Bailey, T J Gruffydd-Jones
• Journal: Journal of veterinary internal medicine (J Vet Intern Med) 2014 Jan-Feb Vol. 28 Issue 1 Pg. 42-7 ISSN: 1939-1676 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24147775 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2013 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Chemical References

• Interleukin-12 Subunit p35
• Interleukin-12 Subunit p40
• Interleukin-23 Subunit p19
• RNA
• Interferon-gamma

Topics

• Animals
• Biopsy (veterinary)
• Cat Diseases (genetics, immunology, pathology)
• Cats
• Gene Expression Regulation (immunology)
• Immunohistochemistry (veterinary)
• Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (genetics, immunology, pathology, veterinary)
• Interferon-gamma (genetics, immunology)
• Interleukin-12 Subunit p35 (genetics, immunology)
• Interleukin-12 Subunit p40 (genetics, immunology)
• Interleukin-23 Subunit p19 (genetics, immunology)
• RNA (chemistry, genetics)
• Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (veterinary)
• Statistics, Nonparametric