Dataset Information

Characterisation of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome in French Bulldogs Using Whole-Body Barometric Plethysmography.

ABSTRACT: Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) is an important health and welfare problem in several popular dog breeds. Whole-body barometric plethysmography (WBBP) is a non-invasive method that allows safe and repeated quantitative measurements of respiratory cycles on unsedated dogs. Here respiratory flow traces in French bulldogs from the pet population were characterised using WBBP, and a computational application was developed to recognise affected animals. Eighty-nine French bulldogs and twenty non-brachycephalic controls underwent WBBP testing. A respiratory functional grading system was used on each dog based on respiratory signs (i.e. respiratory noise, effort, etc.) before and after exercise. For development of an objective BOAS classifier, functional Grades 0 and I were considered to have insignificant clinical signs (termed here BOAS-) and Grades II and III to have significant signs (termed here BOAS+). A comparison between owner-perception of BOAS and functional grading revealed that 60 % of owners failed to recognise BOAS in dogs that graded BOAS+ in this study.WBBP flow traces were found to be significantly different between non-brachycephalic controls and Grade 0 French bulldogs; BOAS- and BOAS+ French bulldogs. A classifier was developed using quadratic discriminant analysis of the respiratory parameters to distinguish BOAS- and BOAS + French bulldogs, and a BOAS Index was calculated for each dog. A cut-off value of the BOAS Index was selected based on a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the classifier on the training group (n=69) were 0.97, 0.93, 0.95, and 0.97, respectively. The classifier was validated using a test group of French bulldogs (n=20) with an accuracy of 0.95. WBBP offers objective screening for the diagnosis of BOAS in French Bulldogs. The technique may be applied to other brachycephalic breeds affected by BOAS, and possibly to other respiratory disease in dogs.

SUBMITTER: Liu NC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4469695 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Characterisation of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome in French Bulldogs Using Whole-Body Barometric Plethysmography.

Liu Nai-Chieh NC Sargan David R DR Adams Vicki J VJ Ladlow Jane F JF

PloS one 20150616 6

Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) is an important health and welfare problem in several popular dog breeds. Whole-body barometric plethysmography (WBBP) is a non-invasive method that allows safe and repeated quantitative measurements of respiratory cycles on unsedated dogs. Here respiratory flow traces in French bulldogs from the pet population were characterised using WBBP, and a computational application was developed to recognise affected animals. Eighty-nine French bulldogs a ...[more]

PMID: 26079684

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Project description:Extremely brachycephalic, or short-muzzled, dog breeds such as pugs, French bulldogs, and bulldogs are prone to the conformation-related respiratory disorder-brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). Affected dogs present with a wide range of clinical signs from snoring and exercise intolerance, to life-threatening events such as syncope. In this study, conformational risk factors for BOAS that could potentially aid in breeding away from BOAS were sought. Six hundred and four pugs, French bulldogs, and bulldogs were included in the study. Soft tape measurements of the head and body were used and the inter-observer reproducibility was evaluated. Breed-specific models were developed to assess the associations between the conformational factors and BOAS status based on functional grading. The models were further validated by means of a BOAS index, which is an objective measurement of respiratory function using whole-body barometric plethysmography. The final models have good predictive power for discriminating BOAS (-) and BOAS (+) phenotypes indicated by the area under the curve values of >80% on the receiver operating curves. When other factors were controlled, stenotic nostrils were associated with BOAS in all three breeds; pugs and bulldogs with higher body condition scores (BCS) had a higher risk of developing BOAS. Among the standardized conformational measurements (i.e. craniofacial ratio (CFR), eye width ratio (EWR), skull index (SI), neck girth ratio (NGR), and neck length ratio (NLR)), for pugs EWR and SI, for French bulldogs NGR and NLR, and for bulldogs SI and NGR showed significant associations with BOAS status. However, the NGR in bulldogs was the only significant predictor that also had satisfactory inter-observer reproducibility. A NGR higher than 0.71 in male bulldogs was predictive of BOAS with approximately 70% sensitivity and specificity. In conclusion, stenotic nostrils, BCS, and NGR were found to be valid, easily applicable predictors for BOAS (+).

Project description:ObjectivesFeline lower airway disease (FLAD) is a common respiratory condition in cats. Traditionally, response to therapy is monitored only by evaluation of clinical signs and radiographic examination of the lungs. Barometric whole-body plethysmography (BWBP) is considered a non-invasive, well-tolerated form of measuring airway reactivity in cats. The aim of the study was to assess pulmonary function testing by BWBP for non-invasive evaluation of response to therapy in cats with FLAD and to investigate whether BWBP parameters correlate with clinical severity.Material and methodsThe prospective study included 25 client-owned cats, diagnosed with FLAD on the basis of their medical history, clinical signs, radiographic findings, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) examination. At three time points (day 0, 14, and 60), a standardised owner questionnaire, a clinical examination and BWBP measurements were carried out. Results of the questionnaire and the clinical examination were evaluated using a clinical 12-point score. Individual therapy was administered to all patients after diagnosis, based on the severity of disease and compliance of the cat.ResultsThe total clinical score significantly improved over the entire study period (p<0.001). Significant improvement was detected for the frequency of coughing (p = 0.009), respiratory distress (p = 0.001), lung auscultation findings (p = 0.002), and general condition and appetite (p = 0.045). The BWBP parameter Penh, an indicator of bronchoconstriction, improved significantly under initial therapy between day 0 and 14 (p = 0.009). A significant correlation between Penh and the severity of auscultation findings was seen on day 0 (r = 0.40; p = 0.013).ConclusionThe study supports the role of Penh as a non-invasive parameter for monitoring initial treatment response in cats with FLAD. Further studies are needed to address whether other BWBP parameters might be suitable for non-invasive therapy monitoring of FLAD. Clinical evaluation is always essential in cats with FLAD to evaluate treatment response.

Project description:IntroductionDue to altered anatomy of the upper respiratory tract, brachycephalic dogs exhibit increased airway resistance and reduced surface area for evaporative heat loss, predisposing them to respiratory and thermoregulatory problems, a syndrome referred to as Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS). Compared to non-brachycephalic dogs, brachycephalic breeds are more susceptible to heat-related injuries even at low ambient temperatures and relatively low physical activity levels. Surgical treatment alleviates clinical signs, potentially improving dogs' thermoregulatory ability with BOAS. Our study aimed to investigate the thermoregulatory response in French bulldogs before and after the surgical correction of BOAS, respectively.MethodsThirteen dogs were exposed to dynamic exercise on a treadmill and the dynamics of their rectal temperature (RT) and heart rate (HR) was measured. The experiment was performed in two independent sessions, before and after the surgical treatment. The test consisted of two consecutive 5-min walks at a speed of 2.5 km/h, first at an inclination of 0% and the second at an inclination of 5%, and a 30-min recovery period. Rectal temperature and HR were measured before the start of the test (t0), at the end of the first (t1) and the second part (t2), and 15 min (t3) and 30 min (t4) in the recovery.ResultsA significant increase in RT and HR was observed during exercise and recovery compared to the resting values, implying that the exercise intensity was sufficient to challenge the thermoregulatory response. The increase of RT was significantly lower during both parts (t1: p = 0.004; t2: p < 0.001) of exercise after the surgical treatment than before the treatment. Although a trend of lower RT after recovery was observed compared to before the surgery, it did not reach statistical significance. Similarly to RT, the HR was significantly lower during exercise after the first (p = 0.020) and the second part (p = 0.011) of exercise after the surgery compared to before the surgery but did not reach significance in the recovery.ConclusionSurgical treatment of BOAS can improve thermoregulation during exercise in French bulldogs with BOAS.

Project description:BackgroundBrachycephalic dogs have abnormal breathing patterns similar to those in humans with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is associated with dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance. Despite the fact that anatomic and functional alterations are well described in brachycephalic dogs, little is known about the consequences of upper airway obstruction on systemic inflammatory response and metabolic profile.ObjectivesTo describe history, clinical presentation, and anatomic abnormalities; to evaluate systemic inflammatory response and metabolic profile; and to identify possible associations among clinical signs, anatomic abnormalities, inflammatory response, and metabolic profile in brachycephalic dogs with airway obstruction.AnimalsThirty purebred brachycephalic dogs with brachycephalic airway obstructive syndrome (BAOS).MethodsProspective study. The following information was recorded and studied: respiratory and digestive signs, airway and digestive endoscopic anomalies, presence or absence of tracheal hypoplasia, histologic evaluation of gastrointestinal tract biopsy specimens, serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), fructosamine, insulin, glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, and plasma concentrations of lipoprotein classes.ResultsA high proportion of dogs (76.7%) had gastrointestinal signs. Esophageal deviation, atony of the cardia of the stomach, and distal esophagitis were the most common endoscopic anomalies detected. Twenty-six (86.6%) dogs had different degrees of laryngeal collapse. Gastrointestinal histologic evaluation identified mostly chronic inflammation. Glucose, fructosamine, triglycerides, cholesterol, CRP, pre-beta, beta lipoproteins, and chylomicrons were increased to a variable extent. Significant associations among clinical signs, anatomic abnormalities, CRP, and metabolic profile were not found.Conclusion and clinical importanceDespite the presence of inflammation and some mild metabolic derangements, the clinicopathological variables evaluated did not offer valuable information in dogs with BAOS.

Dataset Information

Characterisation of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome in French Bulldogs Using Whole-Body Barometric Plethysmography.

Publications

Characterisation of Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome in French Bulldogs Using Whole-Body Barometric Plethysmography.

Similar Datasets

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