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Background Heart rate variability (HRV) parameters, and especially RMSSD (root mean squared successive differences in RR interval), could distinguish atrial fibrillation (AF) from sinus rhythm(SR) in horses, as was demonstrated in a previous study. If heart rate monitors (HRM) automatically calculating RMSSD could also distinguish AF from SR, they would be useful for the monitoring of AF recurrence. The objective of the study was to assess whether RMSSD values obtained from a HRM can differentiate AF from SR in horses. Furthermore, the impact of artifact correction algorithms, integrated in the analyses software for HRV analyses was evaluated. Fourteen horses presented for AF treatment were simultaneously equipped with a HRM and an electrocardiogram (ECG). A two-minute recording at rest, walk and trot, before and after cardioversion, was obtained. RR intervals used were those determined automatically by the HRM and by the equine ECG analysis software, and those obtained after manual correction of QRS detection within the ECG software. RMSSD was calculated by the HRM software and by dedicated HRV software, using six different artifact filters. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and receiver operating curves. Results The HRM, which applies a low level filter, produced high area under the curve (AUC) (> 0.9) and cut off values with high sensitivity and specificity. Similar results were obtained for the ECG, when low level artifact filtering was applied. When no artifact correction was used during trotting, an important decrease in AUC (0.75) occurred. Conclusion In horses treated for AF, HRMs with automatic RMSSD calculations distinguish between AF and SR. Such devices might be a useful aid to monitor for AF recurrence in horses.

The prevalence of respiratory pathogens in diseased veal calves was determined in 24 respiratory disease outbreaks in 15 herds in Belgium. Bacteria were cultured from nasopharyngeal swabs and seroconversion against viruses and Mycoplasma bovis was determined on paired sera. At the individual calf level, Mycoplasma species, Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida, were isolated from 70.5 per cent, 21.5 per cent and 26.0 per cent of swabs, respectively. At the herd level, the presence of M bovis could be confirmed in 84.6 per cent of the herds examined. Seroconversion against bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) was present in 71.4 per cent of herds, parainfluenzavirus type 3 in 53.3 per cent, bovine respiratory syncytial virus in 40.0 per cent, bovine adenovirus type 3 in 46.7 per cent, bovine coronavirus in 30.0 per cent, and bovine herpesvirus type 1 in 26.7 per cent. At postmortem examination, Mycoplasma species could be cultured from 61.9 per cent of pneumonic lungs (n=21). Sixty per cent of calves tested were positive for BVDV (n=20), and 20.0 per cent were positive for bovine respiratory syncytial virus (n=16).

BackgroundAggrecan cleavage is an early process in cartilage degradation observed in OA. As a result, aggrecanase inhibition is an attractive therapeutic strategy for the treatment of OA.1 2 A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs-5 (ADAMTS-5) is an aggrecanase playing a key role in the catabolic events leading to OA.3 We previously described the pharmacological characterisation of GLPG1972, a potent, selective and orally bioavailable ADAMTS-5 inhibitor showing anti-catabolic activity in cartilage explants and displaying disease-modifying OA drug (DMOAD) potential in the destabilisation of the medial meniscus (DMM) model in mice.4 5 ObjectivesIn this communication we report the activity of GLPG1972 in a second model of surgery-induced OA, the rat meniscectomy (MNX) model.6 MethodsOA pathology was induced by meniscectomy in the right hind leg of each rat. On day 1 post surgery, rats were randomly assigned to a treatment group (n=20 per group) according to their body weight. GLPG1972 was administered orally over 3 weeks at dose levels of 10, 25 and 50 mg/kg b.i.d. At sacrifice, the right tibias were collected and processed for histological analysis. OA development in the tibial plateau was evaluated using the OARSI score. The following structural parameters were measured by imaging histomorphometry analysis: subchondral bone plate thickness, proteoglycan content and fibrillation index. Blood samples were collected at steady state at predose, 1, 3 and 6 hour postdose for the determination of GLPG1972 plasma concentrations.ResultsThree weeks post-surgery, a significant reduction in OARSI score compared to vehicle-treated rats was observed with GLPG1972 at 25 and 50 mg/kg b.i.d. (−24% and −23%, respectively). Treatment with GLPG1972 also resulted in a significant reduction in cartilage fibrillation as of 25 mg/kg b.i.d. and prevented proteoglycan loss and subchondral bone plate thickening at all doses. At 25 mg/kg b.i.d. GLPG1972 average plasma concentration over 24 hour was found to be in line with the value observed in other rat MNX experiments (385 ng/mL). GLPG1972 bio-distribution in the target tissue was also determined: the average condyle to plasma ratio was found to be 0.14.ConclusionsOral dosing with GLPG1972 in rat MNX model resulted in significant chondroprotection confirming the DMOAD potential of GLPG1972. A Phase 1 first-in-human study was successfully completed with GLPG1972 (NCT02612246), and a dose-escalation Phase 1b study in OA patients is ongoing (NCT03311009). GLPG1972 is a promising OA drug candidate and a Phase 2 program is currently under preparation.References[1] Little CB, et al. J Clin Invest2007;117:1627–1636.[2] Larsson S, et al. Arthritis Res Ther2009;11:R92.[3] Fosang AJ. Osteoarthritis Cartilage2015;23(8):1231–1232.[4] Clement-Lacroix P, et al. OARSI congress2017.[5] Clement-Lacroix P, et al. EULAR congress2017.[6] Little CB, Smith MM. Curr RheumatoloRev2008;4:175–182.Disclosure of InterestNone declared

Whether sedation affects the intrapulmonary position of the catheter is unknown. [...]the objective of this study was to determine the most frequently sampled lung site by BAL and whether the intrapulmonary position of the BAL catheter is affected by sedation with xylazine. [...]a BAL catheter, introduced without endoscopic guidance, samples a random lung lobe and not systematically the most frequently affected cranial lobes.

Equine atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) plasma concentrations are correlated with left atrial size. However, species-specific assays are lacking and the results from human assays are poorly reproducible. A new methodology called processing independent analysis (PIA) that measures the total proANP product in plasma has proven to be successful in human medicine, but has never been used in horses. The aims were to establish an equine proANP reference interval by measurement of the total proANP product using PIA and to examine the proANP concentrations in horses with atrial dilatation. Sample stability was studied by comparison of storage at −80°C and −20°C. Plasma samples were obtained from 23 healthy horses, 12 horses with moderate or severe valvular regurgitation without atrial dilatation and 42 horses with valvular regurgitation and atrial dilatation. The proANP concentration was significantly (P<0.001) higher in horses with atrial dilatation (761.4 (442.1–1859.1) pmol/l) than in healthy horses (491.6 (429.5–765.9) pmol/l; P<0.001) or horses with cardiac disease but without atrial dilatation (544.4 (457.0–677.6) pmol/l). A cut-off value (573.8 pmol/l) for detection of atrial dilatation was calculated. Sample storage at −80°C did not differ from sample storage at −20°C. The measurement of total proANP in plasma detects atrial dilatation in horses and may be useful for clinical evaluation in equine medicine.

Acne is one of the most prevalent skin conditions seen by dermatologists. Acne scars are a frequent complication of acne that may negatively impact on person's physical, mental and social well-being, as although active acne can persist for a decade or more, acne scars may persist for a lifetime. Although a wide range of treatments are currently being used, there is a lack of high-quality evidence on which is the most effective treatment for acne scars, especially for those with huge severity. Therefore, based on personal experience of various clinical scenarios, the present study aimed to provide both patients and health care providers insights about the suitability of different new techniques for treating acne scars to better improve the quality of life of patients suffering from this condition.

Enterotoxaemia is an important cause of sudden death in veal calves. This study aimed to evaluate intestinal Clostridium perfringens counts as a diagnostic tool for enterotoxaemia. Field necropsies were conducted on 48 sudden death cases in Belgian Blue veal farms. In 31/48 suddenly deceased calves, the diagnosis of enterotoxaemia was made based on haemorrhagic lesions in the small intestines, while in seven of these cases, no clear-cut diagnosis could be made based on macroscopic appearance of the gut. In the 10 remaining calves, a definitive cause of death other than enterotoxaemia could be identified. Samples of the intestinal content were taken for quantification of C perfringens. After matching cases and controls for diet, and the interval between death and sampling, no significant differences could be detected between the mean C perfringens counts of the small intestines in enterotoxaemia cases and counts in the matching segments in the control group. These results indicate that intestinal C perfringens counts cannot be advised as a discriminative postmortem diagnostic tool for enterotoxaemia in veal calves, not even when sampled within three hours after death.