COMPARISON OF DIAGNOSTIC METHODS FOR DETECTING GASTRIC HELICOBACTER-LIKE ORGANISMS IN DOGS AND CATS

Diagnostic methods for detecting gastric Helicobacter-Like organisms ( GHLOs) in dogs and cats were compared. Samples for brush cytology, the urease test and histological examination were collected Post mortem f rom the fundus, corpus and antrum of 10 dogs (17 sample sites from eac h animal) and 10 cats (14 sample sites each). Samples of tissue from t he fundus or corpus were taken for transmission electron microscopy an d culture from three and eight dogs, respectively, and from six cats t hat gave a positive urease test with samples from these regions. In al l dogs and in six of the 10 cats, GHLOs were detected by at least one of three methods (brush cytology, urease test or histological examinat ion) in all regions. By brush cytology, GHLOs were demonstrated in all samples from the dogs and the positive cats. In cats, the urease test (60 min) gave a positive result in every sample site; in dogs it gave a positive result in 100% of the corpus samples, in 95% of the fundus samples and in 62% of the antral samples. Histological examination re vealed GHLOs in all samples from the fundus and corpus of the dogs and of the positive cats; and in 74% and 91.7% of the antral samples of t he dogs and cats, respectively. GHLOs were seen in all dogs and cats s tudied by transmission electron microscopy, and culture of gastric tis sue was successful in 3/8 dogs and 1/6 cats. In this study, brush cyto logy was thus the most sensitive method for demonstrating GHLOs. (C) 1 996 W.B. Saunders Company Limited