Maja Antolić - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Maja Antolić
Genotyping of piroplasms detected in canine stained peripheral blood smears and postmortem tissue imprints
Piroplasmosis is a common infectious haemolytic anaemia in Croatian dogs caused by different spec... more Piroplasmosis is a common infectious haemolytic anaemia in Croatian dogs caused by different species of Babesia genus. Based on morphology of merozoites, Babesia species are divided into large and small piroplasms. This morphological criterion is insufficient for species differentiation ; therefore, use of molecular methods for genotyping of piroplasms from animals is necessary. Routinely, genotyping has been performed from peripheral blood samples, but in some forensic, second opinion requests and archival retrospective analyses genotyping from stained tissue imprints and blood smears is needed. Twelve archival stained cytologic samples from dogs (7 tissue imprints and 5 blood smears) were microscopically analyzed for merozoite presence, parasitemia level and morphology. Genotyping was performed from scrapings of cytological samples using three different protocols ; 1. simple PCR, 2. nested PCR, and 3. simple PCR with purified and concentrated DNA. In all samples merozoites were de...
A translational value of pulmonary function tests in a mouse model of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis: effects of approved therapies Nintedanib and Pirfenidone
ILD/DPLD of known origin, 2019
Pulmonary function tests (PFT’s) routinely implemented in clinics are the first step in the diagn... more Pulmonary function tests (PFT’s) routinely implemented in clinics are the first step in the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Evaluation of PFT’s in the mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis accompanied by histological readouts may improve clinical predictability of new therapeutic candidates. Forced expiration (FE) parameters are considered as the most predictive for restrictive pulmonary disorders. The aim of the study was to estimate the translational value of the PFT technique in the established mouse model by evaluating the effects of two approved therapies, pirfenidone and nintedanib. C57BL/6 mice were administered with bleomycin (BLM) intranasally and treated with pirfenidone or nintedanib from day 0 to day 14. Fourteen days after BLM challenge, PFT’s were assessed by using in vivo invasive lung function measurements. Histological evaluation was performed as modified Ashcroft score and digital analysis of de novo collagen deposition (CO1A1) and alpha-smooth muscle actin...
Prevalence of diseases in dogs in veterinary practice in Sisak-Moslavina county
Istraživanja bolesti pasa provedena u Hrvatskoj do sada nisu ukljucivala cjelovita epidemioloska ... more Istraživanja bolesti pasa provedena u Hrvatskoj do sada nisu ukljucivala cjelovita epidemioloska istraživanja, vec istraživanja pojedinacnih bolesti, i to ponajprije parazitskih bolesti i nekih otrovanja. No, s epidemioloskog gledista i sa stajalista dobrobiti životinja, kao i u interesu donosenja odluka vezanih za zdravstvenu zastitu životinja, bitan je i cjelovit epidemioloski pristup u prikazu bolesti koje se pojavljuju u pasa u Hrvatskoj. Na temelju tako dobivenih podataka može se procijeniti njihova znacajnost i povezanost s rizicnim cimbenicima. Cilj ovoga rada bio je na temelju podataka iz veterinarske prakse na podrucju Sisacko-moslavacke županije procijeniti koja su najucestalija patoloska stanja i dijagnoze u pasa na tom podrucju te na temelju dobivenih podataka ustanoviti postoje li znacajne razlike u pojavi pojedinih bolesti prema godisnjem dobu, spolu, dobi životinje i pasminama. U istraživanju su koristeni podaci prikupljeni u jednoj veterinarskoj ambulanti za male živ...
Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Infectious haemolytic anaemia (IHA) in dogs share similar clinical signs including fever, letharg... more Infectious haemolytic anaemia (IHA) in dogs share similar clinical signs including fever, lethargy, icterus, paleness of mucous membranes and splenomegaly. Postmortal findings are similar and, without additional diagnostic methods, an accurate aetiological diagnosis is difficult to achieve. In order to investigate causes of lethal IHA in Croatian dogs, we performed a retrospective study on archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks (FFPEB) from dogs that died due to haemolytic crisis, using microscopic and molecular diagnostic tools to determine the aetiological cause of disease. Molecular analysis was performed on kidney, lung, myocardium and spleen on FFPEB from all dogs. The originally stated aetiological diagnosis of B. canis or leptospirosis was confirmed in only 53% of the dogs. PCR and sequencing revealed that, in addition to the expected pathogens, B. canis and Leptospira interrogans, the presence of previously undiagnosed "new" pathogens causing anaemia including Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Furthermore, Theileria capreoli was detected for the first time in a dog with postmortal descriptions of lesions. Intensive extravascular hemolysis was noticeable as jaundice of the mucosa, subcutis and fat tissue, green or yellow discoloration of renal parenchyma caused by bilirubin excretion in the renal tubules and bile accumulation within the liver in 90% of the dogs. This work highlights the value of molecular diagnostics to complement traditional ante-mortem and post-mortem diagnostic protocols for the aetiological diagnosis of pathogens associated with IHA.
Claudins: Beyond Tight Junctions in Human IBD and Murine Models
Frontiers in Pharmacology
Claudins are transmembrane proteins constituting one of three tight junction protein families. In... more Claudins are transmembrane proteins constituting one of three tight junction protein families. In patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), disease activity–dependent changes in expression of certain claudins have been noted, thus making certain claudin family members potential therapy targets. A study was undertaken with the aim of exploring expression of claudins in human disease and two different animal models of IBD: dextrane sulfate sodium–induced colitis and adoptive transfer model of colitis. The expression of sealing claudin-1, claudin-3, claudin-4, and claudin-8, and pore-forming claudin-2 in humans and rodents has been evaluated by immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Claudins were expressed by epithelial and cells of mesodermal origin and were found to be situated at the membrane, within the cytoplasm, or within the nuclei. Claudin expression by human mononuclear cells isolated from lamina propria has been confirmed by Western blot and fl...
Genotyping of piroplasms detected in canine stained peripheral blood smears and postmortem tissue imprints
Piroplasmosis is a common infectious haemolytic anaemia in Croatian dogs caused by different spec... more Piroplasmosis is a common infectious haemolytic anaemia in Croatian dogs caused by different species of Babesia genus. Based on morphology of merozoites, Babesia species are divided into large and small piroplasms. This morphological criterion is insufficient for species differentiation ; therefore, use of molecular methods for genotyping of piroplasms from animals is necessary. Routinely, genotyping has been performed from peripheral blood samples, but in some forensic, second opinion requests and archival retrospective analyses genotyping from stained tissue imprints and blood smears is needed. Twelve archival stained cytologic samples from dogs (7 tissue imprints and 5 blood smears) were microscopically analyzed for merozoite presence, parasitemia level and morphology. Genotyping was performed from scrapings of cytological samples using three different protocols ; 1. simple PCR, 2. nested PCR, and 3. simple PCR with purified and concentrated DNA. In all samples merozoites were de...
A translational value of pulmonary function tests in a mouse model of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis: effects of approved therapies Nintedanib and Pirfenidone
ILD/DPLD of known origin, 2019
Pulmonary function tests (PFT’s) routinely implemented in clinics are the first step in the diagn... more Pulmonary function tests (PFT’s) routinely implemented in clinics are the first step in the diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Evaluation of PFT’s in the mouse model of pulmonary fibrosis accompanied by histological readouts may improve clinical predictability of new therapeutic candidates. Forced expiration (FE) parameters are considered as the most predictive for restrictive pulmonary disorders. The aim of the study was to estimate the translational value of the PFT technique in the established mouse model by evaluating the effects of two approved therapies, pirfenidone and nintedanib. C57BL/6 mice were administered with bleomycin (BLM) intranasally and treated with pirfenidone or nintedanib from day 0 to day 14. Fourteen days after BLM challenge, PFT’s were assessed by using in vivo invasive lung function measurements. Histological evaluation was performed as modified Ashcroft score and digital analysis of de novo collagen deposition (CO1A1) and alpha-smooth muscle actin...
Prevalence of diseases in dogs in veterinary practice in Sisak-Moslavina county
Istraživanja bolesti pasa provedena u Hrvatskoj do sada nisu ukljucivala cjelovita epidemioloska ... more Istraživanja bolesti pasa provedena u Hrvatskoj do sada nisu ukljucivala cjelovita epidemioloska istraživanja, vec istraživanja pojedinacnih bolesti, i to ponajprije parazitskih bolesti i nekih otrovanja. No, s epidemioloskog gledista i sa stajalista dobrobiti životinja, kao i u interesu donosenja odluka vezanih za zdravstvenu zastitu životinja, bitan je i cjelovit epidemioloski pristup u prikazu bolesti koje se pojavljuju u pasa u Hrvatskoj. Na temelju tako dobivenih podataka može se procijeniti njihova znacajnost i povezanost s rizicnim cimbenicima. Cilj ovoga rada bio je na temelju podataka iz veterinarske prakse na podrucju Sisacko-moslavacke županije procijeniti koja su najucestalija patoloska stanja i dijagnoze u pasa na tom podrucju te na temelju dobivenih podataka ustanoviti postoje li znacajne razlike u pojavi pojedinih bolesti prema godisnjem dobu, spolu, dobi životinje i pasminama. U istraživanju su koristeni podaci prikupljeni u jednoj veterinarskoj ambulanti za male živ...
Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Infectious haemolytic anaemia (IHA) in dogs share similar clinical signs including fever, letharg... more Infectious haemolytic anaemia (IHA) in dogs share similar clinical signs including fever, lethargy, icterus, paleness of mucous membranes and splenomegaly. Postmortal findings are similar and, without additional diagnostic methods, an accurate aetiological diagnosis is difficult to achieve. In order to investigate causes of lethal IHA in Croatian dogs, we performed a retrospective study on archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks (FFPEB) from dogs that died due to haemolytic crisis, using microscopic and molecular diagnostic tools to determine the aetiological cause of disease. Molecular analysis was performed on kidney, lung, myocardium and spleen on FFPEB from all dogs. The originally stated aetiological diagnosis of B. canis or leptospirosis was confirmed in only 53% of the dogs. PCR and sequencing revealed that, in addition to the expected pathogens, B. canis and Leptospira interrogans, the presence of previously undiagnosed "new" pathogens causing anaemia including Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Furthermore, Theileria capreoli was detected for the first time in a dog with postmortal descriptions of lesions. Intensive extravascular hemolysis was noticeable as jaundice of the mucosa, subcutis and fat tissue, green or yellow discoloration of renal parenchyma caused by bilirubin excretion in the renal tubules and bile accumulation within the liver in 90% of the dogs. This work highlights the value of molecular diagnostics to complement traditional ante-mortem and post-mortem diagnostic protocols for the aetiological diagnosis of pathogens associated with IHA.
Claudins: Beyond Tight Junctions in Human IBD and Murine Models
Frontiers in Pharmacology
Claudins are transmembrane proteins constituting one of three tight junction protein families. In... more Claudins are transmembrane proteins constituting one of three tight junction protein families. In patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), disease activity–dependent changes in expression of certain claudins have been noted, thus making certain claudin family members potential therapy targets. A study was undertaken with the aim of exploring expression of claudins in human disease and two different animal models of IBD: dextrane sulfate sodium–induced colitis and adoptive transfer model of colitis. The expression of sealing claudin-1, claudin-3, claudin-4, and claudin-8, and pore-forming claudin-2 in humans and rodents has been evaluated by immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Claudins were expressed by epithelial and cells of mesodermal origin and were found to be situated at the membrane, within the cytoplasm, or within the nuclei. Claudin expression by human mononuclear cells isolated from lamina propria has been confirmed by Western blot and fl...