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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Fecal and blood microRNA tests to tell dog gut cancer

By Lyngby, Janne G et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2022·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Association of fecal and serum microRNA profiles with gastrointestinal cancer and chronic inflammatory enteropathy in dogs.

Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

A study found that specific microRNAs in the feces and blood of dogs can help tell the difference between gastrointestinal cancer and chronic inflammatory enteropathy (a type of gut inflammation). Researchers tested 24 dogs with cancer, 10 with inflammation, and 10 healthy dogs to identify these markers. They discovered that certain microRNAs, especially fecal miR-451 and miR-223, were very effective at distinguishing between the two conditions. This means that these tests could potentially be used as noninvasive ways for vets to diagnose gastrointestinal issues in dogs, helping to guide treatment decisions.

People also search for: dog gastrointestinal cancer symptoms · dog chronic inflammatory enteropathy treatment · dog fecal test for cancer

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Reliable biomarkers to differentiate gastrointestinal cancer (GIC) from chronic inflammatory enteropathy (CIE) in dogs are needed. Fecal and serum microRNAs (miRNAs) have been proposed as diagnostic and prognostic markers of GI disease in humans and dogs. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Dogs with GIC have fecal and serum miRNA profiles that differ from those of dogs with CIE. AIMS: (a) identify miRNAs that differentiate GIC from CIE, (b) use high-throughput reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) to establish fecal and serum miRNA panels to distinguish GIC from CIE in dogs. ANIMALS: Twenty-four dogs with GIC, 10 dogs with CIE, and 10 healthy dogs, all client-owned. METHODS: An international multicenter observational prospective case-control study. Small RNA sequencing was used to identify fecal and serum miRNAs, and RT-qPCR was used to establish fecal and serum miRNA panels with the potential to distinguish GIC from CIE. RESULTS: The best diagnostic performance for distinguishing GIC from CIE was fecal miR-451 (AUC: 0.955, sensitivity: 86.4%, specificity: 100%), miR-223 (AUC: 0.918, sensitivity: 90.9%, specificity: 80%), and miR-27a (AUC: 0.868, sensitivity: 81.8%, specificity: 90%) and serum miR-20b (AUC: 0.905, sensitivity: 90.5%, specificity: 90%), miR-148a-3p (AUC: 0.924, sensitivity: 85.7%, specificity: 90%), and miR-652 (AUC: 0.943, sensitivity: 90.5%, specificity: 90%). Slightly improved diagnostic performance was achieved when combining fecal miR-451 and miR-223 (AUC: 0.973, sensitivity: 95.5%, specificity: 90%). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: When used as part of a diagnostic RT-qPCR panel, the abovementioned miRNAs have the potential to function as noninvasive biomarkers for the differentiation of GIC and CIE in dogs.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36120988/