Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
C-reactive protein levels predict outcome in dogs with Babesia rossi
By Köster, L S et al.·Published in Journal of the South African Veterinary Association·2009·Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: C-reactive protein in canine babesiosis caused by Babesia rossi and its association with outcome.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 75 dogs infected with Babesia rossi, a parasite that can cause serious illness, were studied to see if a protein called C-reactive protein (CRP) could predict their chances of recovery. The dogs' CRP levels were measured when they were admitted to the hospital and again 24 hours later. Surprisingly, the study found that CRP levels did not significantly differ between dogs that survived and those that did not, suggesting that CRP may not be a reliable indicator of how well a dog will do with this infection. The dogs received treatment, but the study concluded that other factors likely contribute to the severity of the disease.
People also search for: dog Babesia rossi treatment · high CRP levels in dogs · dog infection recovery signs
Abstract
C-reactive protein (CRP) is a positive major acute-phase protein in dogs and can be used as a predictive marker for risk of disease and to monitor the response to treatment. Increased concentrations in certain diseases are associated with poor outcome. This cross-sectional, observational study of 75 dogs naturally infected with Babesia rossi was designed to examine the relationship between outcome and CRP concentration at admission and the magnitude of CRP change 24 hours after admission. Diagnosis was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and reverse line blot. CRP concentrations were determined by an automated human CRP Turbidometric Immunoassay, previously validated for use in dogs. There was no significant difference in mean CRP concentration between survivors (n = 57), 107.5 +/- 49.5 mg/l and non-survivors (n = 11), 122.1 +/- 64.6 mg/l at admission and using the exact logistic regression, adjusting for age and sex, there was no association with outcome (P = 0.53). Multiple regression analysis failed to show a significant relationship between admission CRP concentration and number of days of hospitalisation in the survivors, adjusting for age and sex (P = 0.65). Similarly, no significance was found in the relationship between the magnitude of change in CRP concentration 24 hours after admission, and the number of days of hospitalisation in survivors, (P = 0.34). It is concluded that CRP concentration, as a measure of the acute phase response, is not associated with outcome in canine babesiosis, and inflammation is unlikely to be the only cause of severity of disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19831269/