Wieland M, Mann S, Hafner-Marx A, Ignatius A, Metzner M
1 Clinic for Ruminants with Ambulatory and Herd Health Services at the Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Oberschleissheim, Germany.
2 Current address: Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Vet Pathol. 2017 May;54(3):467-474. doi: 10.1177/0300985816684928. Epub 2017 Jan 5.
Hepatic lipodystrophy in Galloway calves is a fatal liver disease affecting a small proportion of the Galloway breed described in different parts of Europe and North America during the past decades. The clinical findings include a diversity of neurological signs. Clinical pathology findings frequently indicate hepatobiliary disease. Postmortem examination reveals an enlarged, pale yellow, and firm liver. Histologic lesions include hepatic fibrosis, hepatic lipidosis, and bile duct hyperplasia. To date, the etiopathogenesis remains obscure. Infectious causes, intoxications, and a hereditary origin have been considered. We describe hepatic lipodystrophy in Galloway calves from an extensively farmed cow-calf operation in southern Germany. Main clinical findings in 6 calves were consistent with hepatic encephalopathy. Clinical pathology findings in 5 of 6 tested animals revealed increased concentration of total bilirubin (maximum value [MV], 54 μmol/l; reference range [RR], <8.5 μmol/l), direct bilirubin (MV, 20 μmol/l; RR, <3.4 μmol/l), increased activity of gamma glutamyl transferase (MV, 162 U/l; RR, <36 U/l) and glutamate dehydrogenase (MV, 420 U/l; RR, <16 U/l). In addition, activity of glutathione peroxidase was decreased in all tested ( n = 5) animals (MV, 61 U/g hemoglobin [Hb]; RR, >250 U/g Hb). Postmortem examination in 6 calves revealed a firm, diffusely enlarged yellow liver with a finely nodular surface. Histologic lesions included hepatic fibrosis, hepatic lipidosis, and bile duct hyperplasia. Our findings add to the existing data on hepatic lipodystrophy in the Galloway breed and outline a protocol to aid in the diagnosis of this disorder.
加洛韦犊牛的肝脏脂肪营养不良是一种致命的肝脏疾病，在过去几十年里，欧洲和北美的不同地区均有报道，影响着一小部分加洛韦品种的犊牛。临床症状包括多种神经症状。临床病理学检查结果常常提示肝胆疾病。尸检显示肝脏肿大、呈淡黄色且质地坚硬。组织学病变包括肝纤维化、肝脂肪变性和胆管增生。迄今为止，其病因发病机制仍不清楚。曾考虑过感染因素、中毒和遗传因素。我们描述了来自德国南部一个粗放式养殖的奶牛-犊牛养殖场的加洛韦犊牛的肝脏脂肪营养不良情况。6头犊牛的主要临床症状与肝性脑病相符。6头受试动物中有5头的临床病理学检查结果显示，总胆红素浓度升高（最大值[MV]，54 μmol/l；参考范围[RR]，<8.5 μmol/l），直接胆红素升高（MV，20 μmol/l；RR，<3.4 μmol/l），γ-谷氨酰转移酶活性升高（MV，162 U/l；RR，<36 U/l）以及谷氨酸脱氢酶活性升高（MV，420 U/l；RR，<16 U/l）。此外，所有受试（n = 5）动物的谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶活性均降低（MV，61 U/g血红蛋白[Hb]；RR，>250 U/g Hb）。6头犊牛的尸检显示肝脏质地坚硬、弥漫性肿大呈黄色，表面有细小的结节。组织学病变包括肝纤维化、肝脂肪变性和胆管增生。我们的研究结果补充了关于加洛韦品种犊牛肝脏脂肪营养不良的现有数据，并概述了有助于诊断这种疾病的方案。
