Evaluation of Acute Phase Proteins in Dogs Suffering from Various Diseases

The proteins of acute phase response are sensitive markers of ongoing inflammatory processes also in dogs with increased production in many infections and organ diseases. However, the magnitude and intensity of increase in their concentrations may differ according to the type of injury or the causative agent of the disease which is not completely understood. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine major acute phase proteins (APP) concentrations in dogs with selected diseases and to compare the values among the various groups of dogs. The study was conducted on serum samples from 89 client-owned dogs with the following diseases: dogs with parvoviral enteritis (n=14), pyometra (n=21), acute pancreatitis (n=14), and babesiosis (n=39). Clinically healthy dogs (n=23) without any abnormal clinical conditions were also included in the study. The concentrations of serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were analysed in blood serum. The concentrations of all the evaluated APPs differed significantly between the groups of dogs (P<0.001). Although the average concentrations of all parameters were higher in diseased dogs compared to healthy animals, the magnitude of increase differed among the disease groups. Canine parvoviral enteritis and pyometra induced the most marked inflammatory response with the highest mean concentrations of SAA, Hp, and CRP. On the other hand, canine babesiosis was associated with less marked alterations among the evaluated diseases of dogs. The obtained data indicated that the investigated canine disorders were associated with different inflammatory responses, characterized by marked and significant differences in the assessed acute phase reactants.