The Master of Science Seminar and Examination of Sierrah Travis

Biography

Sierrah Travis, DVM, is a current third-year small animal internal medicine resident at Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine (VMCVM). She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University where she earned a bachelor's in behavioral biology and a minor in Spanish language for the professions. She went on to obtain her DVM at VMCVM in 2021. Travis became very interested in small animal internal medicine and went on to complete a small animal rotating internship at Veterinary Referral Associates in 2022.

Funded by

• VMCVM Office of Research and Graduate Studies
• Veterinary Memorial Fund (VMF)

Awards and Academic Achievements

• 2025 ACVIM Resident Research Abstract Award
• 2021 ACVIM Certificate of Clinical Excellence
• 2021 Mortar and Pestle Award

Lay Language Abstract 

Background: In humans, deficiency of plasma ADAMTS-13, a von Willebrand factor cleaving enzyme, is the cause of immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP) which can be difficult to differentiate from immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) as both disease processes involve thrombocytopenia, or decreased platelet counts. Dogs with ITP, the most common acquired primary hemostatic disorders in dogs, have variable bleeding tendencies in such that lower platelet counts do not always result in more severe bleeding. Moreover, the reported mortality rate in dogs with ITP is 10-30% due to suffering from severe bleeding or lack of responsiveness to typical immunosuppressive therapy. Dogs with ITP have not been evaluated for plasma ADAMTS-13 deficiency which could indicate that a subset of dogs with presumed ITP have a different or more complex disease process.

Hypotheses: Dogs with presumed ITP have reduced plasma ADAMTS-13 activity compared to healthy dogs and bleeding assessment scores (DOGiBAT) negatively correlate with plasma ADAMTS-13 activity.

Animals: Fifteen privately-owned dogs with presumed ITP and 40 healthy dogs enrolled in a separate study recruited from a hospital population.

Methods: Prospective observational study. Dogs (≥ 1 year of age) with severe thrombocytopenia (≤20,000 platelets/uL) underwent diagnostic evaluation and were categorized as having presumed primary ITP (pITP) or potential secondary ITP (sITP). All dogs received a DOGiBAT score. Plasma ADAMTS-13 activity was assessed using the Diapharma® RUO Technozyme® ADAMTS-13 Activity ELISA kit. Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to determine if plasma ADAMTS-13 activity was significantly different in dogs with ITP compared to healthy controls. Spearman’s rank correlation rho test was used to determine if plasma ADAMTS-13 activity correlates with bleeding scores.

Results: Preliminary results: Dogs with presumed ITP have reduced plasma ADAMTS-13 activity compared to healthy controls (P = 0.039). Individually, plasma ADAMTS-13 activity in dogs with presumed pITP or potential sITP is not different from healthy controls (P = 0.428, P = 0.095, respectively). Plasma ADAMTS-13 activity does not correlate with DOGiBAT scores (P = 0.069).

Conclusions and clinical relevance: ADAMTS-13 deficiency may be a mechanism for thrombocytopenia in some dogs with severe thrombocytopenia that are labeled as having ITP.

Publications

Ahmed S, Travis SD, Díaz-Bahamonde FV, Porter DDL, Henry SN, Mykins J, Ravipati A, Booker A, Ju J, Ding H, Ramesh AK, Pickrell AM, Wang M, LaConte S, Howell BR, Yuan L, Morton PD. Early Influences of Microbiota on White Matter Development in Germ-Free Piglets. Front Cell Neurosci. 2021 Dec 27;15:807170. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2021.807170. PMID: 35027884; PMCID: PMC8751630.

Presentations

Plasma ADAMTS13 activity in dogs with severe thrombocytopenia and presumed immune thrombocytopenia, ACVIM Forum 2025 Research Abstracts, 6/19/25

Recurrent Lower Urinary Tract Signs, Lecture, Small Animal Internal Medicine Course 3/5/25, 2/28/24, 2/27/23

Basic Immunology, Intensive Review Rounds 1/10/25

Primary Hypoplasia of the Portal Vein, Resident and Intern Seminar Series 10/4/24

Diagnosis and Treatment of Hyperadrenocorticism, Intensive Review Rounds 7/26/24

ADAMTS13 Activity in Dogs with Presumptive Idiopathic Immune Thrombocytopenia,33rd Annual Research Symposium Poster Presentation 3/18/24

Immune mediated thrombocytopenia: News, Updates, and Treatment Options, Resident and Intern Seminar Series 10/6/23

Feline thymoma-associated exfoliative dermatitis, Resident and Intern Seminar Series 5/26/23

ADAMTS13 Activity in Dogs with Presumptive Idiopathic Immune Thrombocytopenia, Resident and Intern Seminar Series 1/13/23

Rickettsial Diseases, Intensive Review Rounds 2/16/24

Chronic Renal Failure, Intensive Review Rounds 8/25/23

Bartonellosis, Intensive Review Rounds 1/6/23

Impact of Gut Microbiota on Oligodendrocyte Maturation and Development, National Veterinary Scholars Symposium 8/4/18

Impact of Gut Microbiota on Oligodendrocyte Maturation and Development, Summer Veterinary Student Research Program 7/27/18

Examination Graduate Committee

Major Advisor/Chair:

Ashley Wilkinson, DVM, MS, DACVIM
Assistant Professor - Small Animal Internal Medicine
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences

Graduate Advising Committee Members:

Stefanie DeMonaco, DVM, MS, MVEd, DACVIM
Clinical Associate Professor - Small Animal Internal Medicine
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences

Timothy Bolton, DVM, DACVIM
Clinical Assistant Professor - Small Animal Internal Medicine
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences

Audrey Keebaugh, DVM, MS, DACVIM
Clinical Assistant Professor - Small Animal Internal Medicine
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences