Inflammatory, immunological, and intestinal disease biomarkers in Chinese Shar-Pei dogs with marked hypocobalaminemia.

Abstract

Chinese Shar-Pei dogs have a high prevalence of hypocobalaminemia and are commonly presented with clinical signs suggestive of severe and long-standing gastrointestinal disease such as diarrhea, vomiting, and/or weight loss. The aim of the current study was to evaluate serum concentrations of inflammatory markers, markers for intestinal disease, and immunological markers in Shar-Peis with hypocobalaminemia or normocobalaminemia (serum cobalamin concentrations within the reference interval). Serum samples from Shar-Peis were collected from various parts of the United States. Serum concentrations of inflammatory markers (i.e., C-reactive protein [CRP], calprotectin [CP], and S100A12), hyaluronic acid (HA, a marker for cutaneous mucinosis), and analytes commonly altered in chronic intestinal diseases (i.e., albumin, zinc, alpha1-proteinease inhibitor [α1PI], immunoglobulin [Ig]A, and IgM) were compared between Shar-Peis with hypocobalaminemia and Shar-Peis with normocobalaminemia. Serum concentrations of CRP, CP, S100A12, HA, zinc, and cα1-PI concentrations did not differ between hypocobalaminemic and normocobalaminemic Shar-Peis (P > 0.05). Serum concentrations of albumin were significantly lower in hypocobalaminemic Shar-Peis (median: 2.5 g/dl) than in normocobalaminemic Shar-Peis (median: 2.9 g/dl; P < 0.0001). Higher serum IgA concentrations and lower serum IgM concentrations were observed in hypocobalaminemic Shar-Peis (median: 1.7 g/l and 0.8 g/l, respectively) than in normocobalaminemic Shar-Peis (median: 0.7 g/l and 1.9 g/l, respectively; both P < 0.0001). In conclusion, no difference was found in serum concentrations of CRP, CP, S100A12, and HA between hypocobalaminemic and normocobalaminemic Shar-Peis whereas some differences were observed in analytes (e.g., albumin, IgA, and IgM) that may be altered in patients with chronic enteropathies.

• Authors: Niels Grützner, Romy M Heilmann, Shannon M Cranford, Andreas Holzenburg, Jan S Suchodolski, Jörg M Steiner
• Journal: Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc (J Vet Diagn Invest) Vol. 27 Issue 1 Pg. 31-40 (Jan 2015) ISSN: 1943-4936 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25525135 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2014 The Author(s).

Chemical References

• Biomarkers
• Vitamin B 12

Topics

• Animals
• Biomarkers
• Dog Diseases (blood, diagnosis, genetics, immunology)
• Dogs
• Female
• Intestinal Diseases (diagnosis, genetics, immunology, veterinary)
• Male
• Species Specificity
• Vitamin B 12 (blood)
• Vitamin B 12 Deficiency (diagnosis, genetics, immunology, veterinary)