Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Acute-phase protein levels in dogs with steroid responsive
By Bathen-Noethen, A et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2008·Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, Germany·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Concentrations of acute-phase proteins in dogs with steroid responsive meningitis-arteritis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with steroid responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA) showed significantly higher levels of a protein called C-reactive protein (CRP) in their blood compared to dogs with other neurological issues. This suggests that measuring CRP can help veterinarians diagnose SRMA more accurately. Additionally, the study found that dogs with SRMA had lower levels of another protein, albumin, which could also be a sign of the disease. Monitoring CRP levels could be useful for tracking how well these dogs respond to treatment.
People also search for: dog meningitis symptoms · SRMA treatment in dogs · high CRP levels in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Measurement of concentrations of acute-phase proteins (APPs) is used as an aid in the diagnosis of a variety of diseases in animals. OBJECTIVE: To determine the concentration of APPs in dogs with steroid responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA) and other neurologic diseases. ANIMALS: One hundred and thirty-three dogs with neurologic diseases, 6 dogs with sepsis, and 8 healthy dogs were included in the study. Thirty-six dogs had SRMA (31 of which had monitoring), 14 dogs had other meningoencephalitides (ME), 32 had disk disease (IVDD/DLSS), 26 had tumors affecting the central nervous system (TCNS), and 25 had idiopathic epilepsy (IE). METHODS: Prospective, observational study: C-reactive protein (CRP), alpha(2)-macroglobulin (AMG), and albumin concentrations were determined in the serum or plasma. CRP was also measured in the cerebrospinal fluid. RESULTS: Serum CRP was significantly higher in dogs with SRMA (x=142 microg/mL+/-75) and sepsis (x=114 microg/mL+/-67) in comparison with dogs with other neurologic diseases (x=2.3-21 microg/mL; P< .001). There was no significant difference detected in AMG between groups. Serum albumin concentration was significantly lower (P< .01) in dogs with SRMA (x=3.2 g/dL+/-0.41) than in other groups (x=3.6-3.9 g/dL). Serum CRP concentration of SRMA dogs correlated with alkaline phosphatase levels (r=0.515, P= .003). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: CRP concentrations in serum are useful in diagnosis of dogs with SRMA. Serum CRP could be used as a monitoring parameter in treatment management of these dogs.
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/18691368/