Correlation of disease markers with clinical, endoscopic, and histologic findings in dogs with chronic gastrointestinal inflammation.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate serum and fecal biomarkers in dogs with chronic gastrointestinal inflammation and investigate their associations with clinical, endoscopic, and histopathological findings. Twenty dogs with chronic gastrointestinal signs and twenty clinically healthy control dogs were included. Dogs in the diseased group underwent clinical assessment, gastrointestinal endoscopy, and histopathological evaluation of intestinal biopsies. Serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), folate, cobalamin, calprotectin, and S100A12, as well as fecal concentrations of calprotectin and S100A12, were measured. Dogs with gastrointestinal inflammation showed significantly higher serum CRP and fecal calprotectin concentrations compared to healthy controls. Serum CRP was positively correlated with clinical disease activity scores and histologic severity in the colon. No significant differences in serum calprotectin or S100A12 concentrations were observed between groups. These findings suggest that serum CRP may serve as a supportive marker of disease severity and that fecal calprotectin holds promise as a non-invasive indicator of intestinal inflammation. In contrast, serum calprotectin and S100A12 showed limited diagnostic utility in this context. Overall, this study provides preliminary insights into the role of selected biomarkers in dogs with chronic gastrointestinal inflammation.