From:
williamsdvm@comcast.net
Date: 2003-09-09 01:20:46 UTC
Subject: RE: research on cause of EE? vet opinions welcome
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <8147355.1063070446239.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Dear Karen:
EGE is a special variant of inflammatory bowel disease. The research done on this disease was fairly limited and conducted in the early 90's when the disease was first described at MIT.
Because the most populous cell in the inflamed intestine in this vairant is the eosinophil, which modulates allergies as well as fights parasitic infections. the assumption since that time was that the disease was either allergic or parasitic in nature. Parasites have never been identified in these cases, although most of us pathologists have spent many fruitless hours looking. The assumption that it is an allergic condition is extremely difficult to prove, due to the tremendous number of facotrs in the average ferret diet, and the fact that there is no readily available model or line of ferrets that will develop the condition with any reproducibility. EE is a sporadic and as yet uncommon disease.
Now anecdotally, these animals appear to do better on a turkey-based diet rather than chicken, and this has been shown in quite a few cases, but that is a long way from saying that this is a food allergy. Plus the disease itself is not similar at all to other infalmmatory bowel diseases which have a known food trigger, such as sprue in humans.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
Author wrote:
> Hey Hey Hey,
> I am looking for any research done on the core cause of Eosiniphilic Gastro Entireties. I understand that it presents as food allergies. What I am looking for is the CAUSE of the food allergies. Is it genetic disposition, improper weaning, luck of the draw? I have searched the internet so far and have not found anything on the causes of this disease.
> I am interested in opinions on this subject. Also and preferably, if anyone can point me in the direction of research done on this disease in cats, dogs or ferrets, I would very much appreciate it.
> In Memory of RinkyDink,
> Karen and the Scruff You Gang