Fragkou F. DVM, PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher, Scholar of the State Scholarships Foundation (ΙΚΥ). Laboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Kyritsi M. Research Assistant, MSc, Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research and Technology, Greece
Michailidou S. Researcher, Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research and Technology, Thessaloniki, Greece
Afaloniati H. DVM, PhD Candidate, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Toxicology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Prassinos N.N. DVM, PhD, Professor, Surgery Unit, Companion Animal Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Kritsepi-Konstantinou M. DVM, PhD, Professor, Diagnostic Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Xenoulis P. DVM, PhD, Αssociate Professor, Clinic of Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece and Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
Steiner J.M. University Distinguished Professor, Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
Argiriou A. Researcher, Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research and Technology, Thessaloniki, Greece. Professor, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of the Aegean, Lemnos, Greece
Poutahidis T. DVM, PhD, Professor, Laboratory of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Adamama-Moraitou K.K. DVM, PhD, Professor, Medicine Unit, Companion Animal Clinic, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Rallis T. † Deceased, July 2018
Introduction
Intestinal dysbiosis is often present in gastrointestinal diseases. We aimed to investigate the presence of dysbiosis in symptomatic and asymptomatic cats with triaditis, as well as healthy cats.
Materials and methods
A total of 16 symptomatic, 21 asymptomatic with histopathological lesions and 15 control cats were enrolled (Fragkou et al., 2016). Bacterial communities were characterized in duodenal biopsies by 16S rRNA amplicon metabarcoding. Differences in bacterial abundance between symptomatic and asymptomatic cats with inflammation were analyzed using Krusκal-Wallis Mann-Whitney and DESeq2 tests. Bacterial taxa were correlated with clinical and laboratory parameters (Spearman’s rho).
Results
Proteobacteria (p=0.029), Bacteroidota (p=0.003) and Firmicutes (p=0.004) were increased in symptomatic compared to asymptomatic cats with inflammatory lesions. Proteobacteria (p=0.049) and Bacteroidota (p=0.036) were increased in cats with vomiting, Bacteroidota in cats with anorexia (p=0.02) and Firmicutes in cats with diarrhea (p=0.02). Positive correlations were detected between a) aspartate-aminotranferase activity (AST) and Actinobacteriota (rho=+0.483, p<0.001), Proteobacteria (rho=+0.335, p=0.019) and Bacteroidota (rho=+0.357, p=0.012) b) alanine-aminotransferase activity (ALT) and Proteobacteria (rho=+0,434, p=0.001) and Actinobacteriota (rho=+0.497, p<0.001) and c) disease activity index (rho=+0.375, p=0.006) and Bacteroidota.
Conclusions
Clinical and laboratory abnormalities in cats with triaditis were associated with alterations in the composition of bacterial communities in the duodenum.
References
- Fragkou FC, Adamama-Moraitou KK, Poutahidis T, Prassinos NN, Kritsepi-Konstantinou M, Xenoulis PG, Steiner JM, Lidbury JA, Suchodolski JS, Rallis TS (2016). Prevalence and Clinicopathological Features of Triaditis in a Prospective Case Series of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Cats. J Vet Intern Med 30, 1031-1045.
