Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Alkaline phosphatase helps diagnose certain dog leukemias
By Stokol, Tracy et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2015·Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Alkaline phosphatase is a useful cytochemical marker for the diagnosis of acute myelomonocytic and monocytic leukemia in the dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with acute leukemia was tested for a specific enzyme called alkaline phosphatase (ALP) to see if it could help identify a type of leukemia called acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AML). The results showed that ALP was present in all dogs with AML, while it was absent in dogs with lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. This suggests that checking for ALP could be a helpful tool for veterinarians when diagnosing AML in dogs, especially when other tests are inconclusive.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Immunophenotyping has replaced cytochemical staining as the preferred technique for classifying acute leukemia. However, some acute myeloid leukemias (AML) lack lineage-associated markers. In our experience, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is expressed in immature canine monocytes. We hypothesized that ALP is a useful marker for monocytic AML. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to compare ALP expression in neoplastic cells from dogs with lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL), and AML. METHODS: Alkaline phosphatase results were retrieved from medical records of dogs with acute leukemia. Smears from dogs with lymphoma or leukemia were also prospectively stained for ALP activity. CLL was based on persistent lymphocytosis (10 × 10(9) /L) and acute leukemia on ≥ 20% blasts in blood or bone marrow. ALL was classified based on positive phenotyping for T- or B-lymphocyte antigens, and AML on positive phenotyping for CD11b, CD11c or CD14, or cytochemical staining for chloroacetate esterase, Sudan Black B, or myeloperoxidase. RESULTS: There was no ALP activity in all 49 lymphomas and 7 CLLs. Weak ALP activity was seen in 31% of 14 ALL (all T-ALL). ALP activity was seen in all 20 AML (P < .001 vs ALL) with strong activity in 64% (vs 25% ALL) in most neoplastic cells (median 75% vs 9% ALL, P = .020). Of AML, 80% were CD34+ (vs 39% ALL, P = .027) and 100% were MHCII- (vs 43% ALL, P = .002). CONCLUSIONS: ALP activity may be useful for AML confirmation in dogs, particularly if neoplastic cells only express CD34+ on immunophenotyping.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25546124/