2016 ACVIM Forum Research Abstract Program

A modified feline chronic enteropathy activity index score (FCEAI), a standard panel of gastrointestinal serum parameters, a standardized quantification of histopathology, a quantitative fecal score, and a group of immunohistochemical (IHC) markers were determined in 29 cats presented for signs consistent with chronic enteropathy. Study participants were from a client-owned population of cats experiencing diarrhea and/or vomiting of at least 3weeks duration; had no evidence of a non-gastrointestinal disease based on history, physical examination, biochemical profile, complete blood count, urinalysis, total T4, and fPLI and fTLI; and had endoscopy with biopsies and histopathology of the small intestine as part of their diagnostic work-up. Serum cobalamin and folate concentrations were also determined. Histopathologic grading and IHC quantification was performed by a single, board certified pathologist blinded to any additional information regarding the case. Immunohistochemistry was performed to identify the prevalence of cellular staining for TGF-b, CD3, Foxp3, and MAC387. The degree of cellular staining was measured at 3 random and separate areas and those 3 values were averaged to give the final immunohistochemical score for each particular marker. Biochemical parameters, FCEAI scores, and histopathologic grading scores were tested for normality using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and since the vast majority of data was not normally distributed, non-parametric statistics were used for analysis.