Serum acute phase proteins concentrations in dogs during experimentally short-term induced overweight. A preliminary study

The purpose of the study was to analyse serum concentrations of four different positive acute phase proteins (APPs): C-reactive protein, haptoglobin, serum amyloid A and ceruloplasmin in a model of experimentally short-term developed obesity in Beagle dogs. All APPs were quantified by commercially available ELISA methods and C-reactive protein was also determined by a highly sensitive time-resolved fluorometric assay. There were no significant differences between APPs concentrations at the beginning and the end of the study in groups of dogs that increased their body condition scores. In addition, dogs with body condition scores of 4 and 5 did not shown significant differences for any of the acute phase proteins studied compared with control dogs of BCS of 3, with exception of a decrease in haptoglobin. It was concluded that overweight induced in the experimental conditions of this study does not produce a significant change in acute phase proteins.     

Serum acute phase protein concentrations in dogs with hyperadrenocorticism with and without concurrent inflammatory conditions

Background: Acute phase proteins (APPs) are promising markers of inflammation in dogs, because they are more sensitive than WBC counts in detecting clinical and subclinical inflammation. Endogenous corticosteroids can mask an acute phase response and make it more difficult to identify underlying inflammatory disease. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute phase protein response in dogs with spontaneous hyperadrenocorticism (HAC) with and without concurrent inflammatory conditions. Methods: Serum concentrations of C‐reactive protein (CRP), haptoglobin (Hp), fibrinogen, and albumin were measured in 44 healthy adult dogs and 39 dogs with HAC; the HAC group was further divided into dogs with and without concurrent infection/inflammation. A fourth group of dogs with severe sepsis and without HAC was compared with the dogs with HAC and severe sepsis. Results: Dogs with uncomplicated HAC had significantly higher Hp and fibrinogen concentrations compared with healthy control dogs (P<.001). Dogs with HAC and severe inflammatory disease also had significantly higher CRP and lower albumin concentrations than control dogs and dogs with HAC without concurrent inflammation. Dogs with sepsis but without HAC had significantly higher CRP concentrations than dogs with HAC and sepsis. Conclusions: Dogs with HAC had increases in the moderate APPs (Hp and fibrinogen), and no significant changes in CRP and albumin compared with healthy dogs. Although concurrent HAC appeared to blunt the CRP response in dogs with sepsis, increased serum CRP concentration in dogs with HAC is likely indicative of severe concurrent inflammation.     

Serum concentrations of acute-phase proteins in dogs with leishmaniosis during short-term treatment

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate changes in serum concentrations of acute-phase proteins in dogs with leishmaniosis during short-term therapy in accordance with 2 treatment protocols and determine whether concentrations of acute-phase proteins could be used to monitor the initial response of dogs to treatment. ANIMALS: 12 dogs naturally infected with Leishmania infantum. PROCEDURE: Dogs were allocated into 2 groups. Dogs of group 1 were treated by use of meglumine antimonate (100 mg/kg, SC, q 24 h) administered concurrently with allopurinol (15 mg/kg, PO, q 12 h) for 20 days and then with allopurinol alone at the same dosage for the subsequent 30 days. Dogs of group 2 were treated by administration of allopurinol alone (15 mg/kg, PO, q 12 h) for 60 days). Blood samples were obtained before and during treatment for measurement of serum concentrations of acute-phase proteins and determination of CBC counts, serum biochemical analyses, and electropherograms. RESULTS: All dogs evaluated in the study had increased concentrations of C-reactive protein, haptoglobin, and ceruloplasmin at the time of diagnosis of leishmaniosis. Mean concentration of serum amyloid A before treatment was also increased, but some of the dogs had concentrations of serum amyloid A that were within the reference range. Concentrations of C-reactive protein and ceruloplasmin decreased significantly in all dogs at the end of the study period. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Measurement of concentrations of selected acute-phase proteins, such as C-reactive protein or ceruloplasmin, could be used to evaluate the initial response of dogs with leishmaniosis to treatment.     

Serum antiprotease concentrations in dogs with spontaneous and experimentally induced acute pancreatitis

A significant decline (P = 0.047) in serum antiprotease concentration was detected in dogs with experimentally induced acute pancreatitis. Decreased serum antiprotease concentrations, similar in magnitude to those documented in the experimental dogs, were present in dogs with spontaneous, acute pancreatitis. These findings suggest that significant amounts of proteolytic enzymes escape into the systemic circulation during acute pancreatitis in dogs. These circulating enzymes may be involved in the extrapancreatic complications of acute pancreatitis.     

Serum pancreatic polypeptide and amylase concentrations in dogs with experimentally induced acute pancreatitis

Serum concentrations of immunoreactive pancreatic polypeptide (IPP) were measured serially for 7 days after experimental induction of acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis in dogs by infusion of oleic acid into the pancreatic duct. The mean serum IPP concentrations in dogs with pancreatitis were increased significantly (P = 0.013) for 96 hours after induction of pancreatitis. Providing food at 108 hours resulted in significant increases (P = 0.032) in mean serum IPP concentrations in sham-operated control dogs compared with dogs with induced pancreatitis. This was attributed to cephalic-phase release of IPP due to a conditioned response that resulted from feeding immediately after each blood sampling. Mean serum IPP concentrations returned to base line more quickly than did mean serum amylase concentrations in dogs with pancreatitis.     

Serum gastrin concentrations in dogs with liver disorders

Dogs with liver disorders often display gastrointestinal signs that may be triggered by ulceration. The liver is important for inactivation of some forms of gastrin. Therefore, hypergastrinaemia has been implicated in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal ulcerations related to liver dysfunction. The aim of this study was to determine serum gastrin concentrations in dogs with liver disease. Fasted blood samples were collected from 15 dogs with newly diagnosed liver disease and 18 healthy dogs. Gastrin concentrations were significantly lower in dogs with congenital portosystemic shunt compared with healthy dogs (P=0.003). No significant difference (P=0.6) in gastrin concentration was revealed between dogs with hepatocellular disease and healthy dogs. Serum gastrin concentrations were not significantly associated with the occurrence of vomiting, anorexia, diarrhoea, or melaena in dogs with liver disorders. These findings did not provide support for the role of hypergastrinaemia in the development of gastrointestinal signs associated with liver disease in dogs. Decreased serum concentrations of gastrin in a dog with liver disease may suggest the presence of portosystemic shunt. Further investigation is warranted to determine the importance of hyopogastrinaemia in congenital postosystemic shunts in dogs and to evaluate potential alterations in serum gastrin concentrations in specific hepatocellular diseases.     

Serum lipid concentrations in dogs with tail chasing

O bjective : To characterise lipid profile in dogs with tail chasing.
M ethods : Fifteen dogs with tail chasing were included in this study. A behavioural diagnosis was made for each dog on the basis of the dog's behavioural history, clinical signs and results of other medical assessments. None of the dogs had concurrent medical disease that would account for compulsive tail chasing. Blood samples were taken from each dog after a fasting period of 12 to 16 hours to measure total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Fifteen control dogs were also enrolled on the basis of normal physical examination results, complete blood count and serum biochemistry profiles.
R esults : Dogs with tail chasing had significantly higher total cholesterol (P < 0·01), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P<0·05) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P<0·001) compared with control dogs. Very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels did not differ significantly between the groups.
C linical S ignificance : Tail chasing may be associated with serum cholesterol elevations in dogs. High serum cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels may be used as biochemical parameters of compulsive tail chasing in clinical settings.     

Serum acute phase proteins and swine health status

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between swine health status and the concentration of the serum acute phase proteins, haptoglobin (HP), and C-reactive protein (CRP). A total of 378 clinically healthy pigs from farms A and B, plus 20 pigs culled from farm A due to poor growth, were used in this experiment. Each pig was examined and blood samples were collected during slaughter. The HP concentration was measured by using an HP-hemoglobin binding assay. The CRP concentration was measured by using a CRP enzyme immunoassay. Gross and histopathological lesions were examined and recorded at slaughter. Representative samples were then collected in order to isolate pathogens. Swine enzootic pneumonia, found in 47.7% of the pigs, was the most common lesion. Other lesions included pleuropneumonia (32.7%), suppurative pneumonia (10.3%), fibrinous pericardititis (4.3%), Ascaris migration in the liver (33.9%), and intestinal serositis (3.0%).     

Serial evaluation of thoracic radiographs and acute phase proteins in dogs with pneumonia

BackgroundAcute phase proteins (APP) may guide treatment of pneumonia in dogs but correlations with radiographic abnormalities are poorly characterized.ObjectivesDevelop a thoracic radiographic severity scoring system (TRSS), assess correlation of radiographic changes with APP concentrations, and compare time to APP and radiograph normalization with duration of antimicrobials treatment.AnimalsSixteen client‐owned dogs, 12 with aspiration pneumonia, and 4 with community‐acquired pneumonia.MethodsConcentrations of C‐reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), and haptoglobin were measured on days 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 60 and orthogonal 2‐view thoracic radiographs were obtained on days 1, 7, 14, 28, and 60. Treatment was clinician‐guided and blinded to APP concentrations. Radiographic severity scores were assigned by blinded, randomized retrospective review by 2 board‐certified radiologists with arbitration by a third radiologist.ResultsMedian (interquartile range [IQR]) time to normalization of CRP (7 days [7‐14]) and SAA concentrations (7 days [7‐14]) were shorter than antimicrobial treatment duration (17.5 days [14.5‐33.5]; P = .001 and .002, respectively) and TRSS normalization (14 days [8.8‐52], P = .02 and .02, respectively). The CRP and SAA concentrations were positively correlated with TRSS (CRP r _s , 0.643; SAA r _s , 0.634; both P < .0001). Both CRP and SAA identified normal thoracic radiographs area under the curve (AUC) 0.873 and 0.817, respectively, both P < .0001. Interobserver agreement for TRSS assignment was moderate (κ, .499; P < .0001).Conclusion and Clinical ImportanceConcentrations of CRP and SAA normalized before radiographic resolution and before clinicians discontinued antimicrobial treatment. The CRP and SAA concentrations may guide duration of antimicrobial treatment for dogs with pneumonia.     

SDS-PAGE and Western blot of urinary proteins in dogs with leishmaniasis

Canine leishmaniasis is an endemic disease in the Mediterranean area caused by the protozoan Leishmania infantum, which usually produces renal failure. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blot using antibodies to IgG and IgA from dogs were carried out in the urine of 22 dogs with leishmaniasis diagnosed by ELISA and confirmed by PCR, and 20 healthy dogs. The results were compared to renal function laboratory tests and to those from a histopathological study of the kidneys from sick animals that died naturally or were euthanized. Five different bands with molecular weights ranging from 10 to 110 kDa were obtained from the electrophoresis of the urine of healthy dogs. 33.5% of total proteins corresponded to low molecular weight proteins and the other proteins had middle and high molecular weights. However, in the group with leishmaniasis, a maximum of 11 different bands with molecular weights ranging from 10 kDa to 150 kDa were displayed in the electrophoresis of the urine. The urine electrophoretic pattern in the sick dogs was classified as mixed (proteins with high and low molecular weights) because low molecular weight proteins made up 57.9% and the rest of the proteins had middle and high molecular weights. In Western blot, none of the healthy dogs showed excretion of IgG and/or IgA, whereas IgG and IgA were detected in the Western blot of urine of 68% and 55% respectively of dogs with leishmaniasis. The results obtained in the leishmaniasis group agreed with glomerular and tubular damage, which were confirmed by the histopathological findings.     

Acute phase protein concentrations in dogs with nasal disease

The concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A, haptoglobin (Hp) and α(1)-acid glycoprotein were measured in dogs with clinical signs of nasal disease and compared with those of healthy dogs in order to determine the expression of these proteins in cases of canine nasal disease. A significant difference (P<0.001) between the symptomatic group and the control group was found for both CRP and Hp. Among the animals with nasal disease, a significant intergroup difference (P<0.05) was found in the expression of Hp between dogs with aspergillosis and those with chronic rhinitis.     

Serum concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol in clinically normal dogs and dogs with acute and chronic renal failure

OBJECTIVE: To compare serum concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25-[OH]2D3) and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-[OH]D3) in healthy control dogs and dogs with naturally occurring acute renal failure (ARF) and chronic renal failure (CRF). ANIMALS: 24 control dogs, 10 dogs with ARF, and 40 dogs with CRF. PROCEDURE: Serum concentrations of 1,25-(OH)2D3 were measured by use of a quantitative radioimmunoassay, and serum concentrations of 25-(OH)D3 were measured by use of a protein-binding assay. RESULTS: Mean +/- SD serum concentration of 1,25-(OH)2D3 was 153 +/- 50 pmol/L in control dogs, 75 +/- 25 pmol/L in dogs with ARF, and 93 +/- 67 pmol/L in dogs with CRF. The concentration of 1,25-(OH)2D3 did not differ significantly between dogs with ARF and those with CRF and was in the reference range in most dogs; however, the concentration was significantly lower in dogs with ARF or CRF, compared with the concentration in control dogs. Mean +/- SD concentration of 25-(OH)D3 was 267 +/- 97 nmol/L in control dogs, 130 +/- 82 nmol/L in dogs with ARF, and 84 +/- 60 nmol/L in dogs with CRF. The concentration of 25-(OH)D3 was significantly lower in dogs with ARF or CRF, compared with the concentration in control dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The concentration of 1,25-(OH)2D3 was within the reference range in most dogs with renal failure. Increased serum concentrations of parathyroid hormone indicated a relative deficiency of 1,25-(OH)2D3. A decrease in the serum concentration of 25-(OH)D3 in dogs with CRF appeared to be attributable to reduced intake and increased urinary loss.     

Effects of different glucocorticoid treatments on serum acute phase proteins in dogs

The serum concentrations of haptoglobin, caeruloplasmin, C-reactive protein and serum amyloid A were measured in three groups of seven healthy dogs. Group 1 received a single dose of 1.1 mg/kg methylprednisolone acetate, administered subcutaneously; group 2 received 1 mg/kg per day of prednisone administered orally for three weeks; and group 3 received 2.2 mg/kg per day of prednisone administered orally for seven days. Before the administration of the glucocorticoids the serum concentrations of all the acute phase proteins were within the authors' laboratory reference ranges. After the administration of the drugs there were significant increases in the concentration of haptoglobin in all three groups, the increases being larger in groups 2 and 3. In contrast, the concentrations of C-reactive protein, caeruloplasmin and serum amyloid A were not affected.     

Influence of transportation on serum concentrations of acute phase proteins in horse

The modifications of Haptoglobin (Hp), Serum Amyloid A (SAA), Fibrinogen (Fbg) and White Blood Cells (WBCs) were evaluated in 15 Saddle Italian horses. Ten horses were transported covering a distance of about 320 km within 4 h with an average speed of 80 km/h (experimental group) and five horses were not subject to transportation (control group). Blood was collected via jugular venipuncture before the transportation (T0), immediately after the transportation (T1), 12 (T12), 24 (T24) and 48 (T48)hours after the transportation in experimental group and at the same time point in control group. For each parameter statistical analysis of different groups and sampling time was performed using a two-way analysis of covariance, with the data before the transportation (T0) as the covariate, by the GLM procedure of SAS. For all parameters the interaction (Group × Time) was tested and it was resulted no significant. The application of statistical analysis showed significant differences between the control group and horses subjected to transportation (P<0.01), and the influence of sampling time (P<0.05) on Hp, SAA and WBCs. These modifications appeared to be innovative showing that equine Hp, generally considered as moderate acute phase protein, increases more rapidly than the SAA after transportation-induced stress.