Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
IgA levels in dog blood and spinal fluid for diagnosing
By Maiolini, Arianna et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2012·Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Determination of immunoglobulin A concentrations in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of dogs: an estimation of its diagnostic value in canine steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with suspected steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA) had their blood and spinal fluid tested for a specific protein called immunoglobulin A (IgA). The results showed that dogs with SRMA had significantly higher levels of IgA in both their blood and spinal fluid compared to dogs with other health issues. This test was found to be very effective, correctly identifying SRMA in 91% of cases. Based on these findings, veterinarians are encouraged to use IgA testing in both blood and spinal fluid to help diagnose SRMA in dogs.
People also search for: dog meningitis treatment · SRMA in dogs symptoms · high IgA levels in dog blood test
Abstract
Previous studies on canine steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA) suggested that elevation of immunoglobulin A (IgA) concentrations in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is specific for SRMA throughout the different disease stages. Recent studies however have raised concerns about the value of this test. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of IgA concentration testing in paired CSF and serum samples. IgA concentrations of 525 paired canine CSF and serum samples were evaluated. Samples were obtained from dogs with SRMA (n=311) and dogs with miscellaneous conditions (n=214) such as other central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory diseases (n=34), CNS tumours (n=46), idiopathic epilepsy (n=42), intervertebral disc disease (n=46) and non-CNS diseases (n=46). Serum IgA concentrations were significantly higher in dogs with untreated SRMA compared to those with other diseases. IgA CSF concentrations were significantly higher in dogs with SRMA compared to other disease categories, with the exception of inflammatory CNS disease. The sensitivity for IgA concentrations in serum and CSF was 91% with a specificity of 78%. Analysis of 525 paired samples confirmed that IgA concentrations were higher in dogs with SRMA. Calculation of the diagnostic value of IgA concentration confirmed that the test is highly sensitive for SRMA. Testing paired CSF and serum samples for IgA is still recommended for the diagnosis of suspected cases of SRMA.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21277241/