Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood test shows blood vessel lining damage in dogs with heart valve
By Lawrence-Mills, Sara J et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2022·Bristol Medical School, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Circulating hyaluronan as a marker of endothelial glycocalyx damage in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease and dogs in a hypercoagulable state.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with heart disease known as myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) and dogs with a condition that makes their blood more likely to clot were tested for a substance called hyaluronan in their blood. The results showed that both groups had higher levels of hyaluronan compared to healthy dogs, indicating damage to a protective layer in their blood vessels. This suggests that measuring hyaluronan could help veterinarians assess vascular health in dogs with these conditions. Treatment options may include managing the underlying heart disease or addressing the hypercoagulable state.
People also search for: dog heart disease symptoms · myxomatous mitral valve disease treatment · dog blood clotting issues
Abstract
The endothelial glycocalyx (eGlx) lines the luminal surface of endothelial cells, maintaining vascular health. Glycocalyx damage is pathophysiologically important in many diseases across species however few studies have investigated its breakdown in naturally occurring disease in dogs. The aims of the study were to investigate eGlx damage in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) diagnosed on echocardiography, and dogs in a hypercoagulable state diagnosed using thromboelastography (TEG), by measuring serum hyaluronan concentrations. Serum hyaluronan was quantified in dogs with MMVD (n = 27), hypercoagulability (n = 21), and in healthy controls dogs (n = 18). Serum hyaluronan concentrations were measured using a commercially-available ELISA validated for use in dogs. Hyaluronan concentrations were compared among groups using Kruskal-Wallis tests, and post-hoc with Dunn's tests. Serum hyaluronan concentrations (median [range]) were significantly increased in dogs with MMVD (62.4 [22.8-201] ng/mL; P = 0.031) and hypercoagulability (92.40 [16.9-247.6] ng/mL; P < 0.001) compared to controls (45.7 [8.7-80.2] ng/mL). Measurement of serum hyaluronan concentration offers a clinically applicable marker of eGlx health and suggests the presence of eGlx damage in dogs with MMVD and dogs in a hypercoagulable state.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35640794/