Observations on exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in a family of English setter dogs |
| |
| Authors: | A Boari D A Williams P Famigli-Bergamini |
| |
| Institution: | Istituto di Patologia Speciale e Clinica Medica Veterinaria, Universita' degli Studi di Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra, 50 Ozzano Emilia 40064 Bologna, Italy;*Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, 1248 Lynn Hall, Purdue University, West Lafayette 47907 Indiana, USA |
| |
| Abstract: | The aim of this paper is to report serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity (TLI) concentrations in the progeny of a pair of English setters. These dogs had a history of producing puppies with a high prevalence of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) secondary to either congenital deficiency or early onset juvenile atrophy of pancreatic acinar cells. Serum TLI concentrations in the clinically healthy parents of the puppies with EPI were normal, as were serum TLI concentrations in the unaffected puppies. However, serum TLI concentrations were extremely low (less than 1 μg/litre) in three puppies at eight to 12 weeks of age when clinical signs of EPI were present. In addition, one of the three puppies, with low TLI concentrations at eight weeks of age, had serum TLI concentrations of 0.7 μg/litre at two weeks of age even though no clinical signs were evident at that time. These results suggest that serum TLI assay may be a useful diagnostic aid in identifying puppies at a very early age with this unusual form of EPI. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
