Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Serum enzyme levels in dogs with Neospora and other brain inflammation
By Jones, Bethan S & Harcourt-Brown, Tom·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2022·Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Comparison of serum creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase activity in dogs with Neospora meningoencephalitis and noninfectious meningoencephalitis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with meningoencephalitis (inflammation of the brain and spinal cord) were tested for Neospora infection, which can cause serious neurological issues. The researchers found that dogs with Neospora had significantly higher levels of two enzymes, creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), compared to those with noninfectious meningoencephalitis. These enzyme levels can help veterinarians quickly identify potential Neospora infections while waiting for more detailed test results. This information can be crucial for timely treatment and better outcomes for affected dogs.
People also search for: dog meningoencephalitis symptoms · Neospora infection in dogs · high CK AST levels in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity can be increased with myositis associated with Toxoplasma and Neospora infection in dogs. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Serum activity of CK and AST can be used as a rapid screen for predicting positive serology in meningoencephalitis caused by Toxoplasma gondii or Neospora caninum in dogs compared to dogs with noninfectious meningoencephalitis. ANIMALS: Eighty dogs with meningoencephalitis based on magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid analysis. METHODS: Retrospective case-control study. Serological cutoffs (≥1:800 immunofluorescence for Neospora and ≥1:400 IgG or ≥1:64 IgM or both for Toxoplasma) categorized dogs as infected (n = 21, all neosporosis) or noninfected (n = 59). Activities of CK and AST between infected and noninfected groups were compared using a Mann-Whitney U test and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. RESULTS: No dogs were diagnosed with toxoplasmosis. Serum CK and AST activities were significantly increased (P < .001) in dogs with positive serology for Neospora (CK: median, 1334 U/L; range, 281-3633 U/L and AST: median, 124 U/L; range, 59-333 U/L) compared to noninfectious cases (CK: median, 215 U/L; range, 69-683 U/L and AST: median, 36 U/L; range, 19-139 U/L). A CK cutoff of 485 U/L had 95.24% sensitivity and 96.61% specificity with a negative predicative value of >99%. An AST cutoff of 57 U/L had 94.44% sensitivity and 85.71% specificity with an estimated negative predicative value of 99%. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: High serum CK and AST activity can increase suspicion for neosporosis while awaiting serological tests for dogs with meningoencephalitis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34859908/