Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
High thymidine kinase blood levels in dogs with splenic
By Thamm, D H et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative oncology·2012·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Elevated serum thymidine kinase activity in canine splenic hemangiosarcoma*.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with bleeding in the abdomen and a mass on the spleen were tested for a specific protein called thymidine kinase (TK1) to help determine if they had a serious cancer called hemangiosarcoma. The results showed that dogs with this type of cancer had much higher levels of TK1 compared to healthy dogs, which could help vets identify the disease more accurately. While the test was not perfect, it showed promise in distinguishing between cancerous and non-cancerous conditions. This information could be useful for pet owners and veterinarians when diagnosing dogs with similar symptoms.
People also search for: dog splenic mass symptoms · hemangiosarcoma in dogs · elevated thymidine kinase in dogs
Abstract
Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) is a soluble biomarker associated with DNA synthesis. This prospective study evaluated serum TK1 activity in dogs presenting with hemoabdomen and a splenic mass. An ELISA using azidothymidine as a substrate was used to evaluate TK1 activity. Sixty-two dogs with hemoabdomen and 15 normal controls were studied. Serum TK1 activity was significantly higher in dogs with hemangiosarcoma (HSA) than in normal dogs (mean ± SEM = 17.0 ± 5.0 and 2.01 ± 0.6, respectively), but not dogs with benign disease (mean ± SEM = 10.0 ± 3.3). Using a cut-off of 6.55 U/L, TK activity demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.52, specificity of 0.93, positive predictive value of 0.94 and negative predictive value of 0.48 for distinguishing HSA versus normal. When interval thresholds of <1.55 and >7.95 U/L were used together, diagnostic utility was increased. Serum TK1 evaluation may help to discriminate between benign disease and HSA in dogs with hemoabdomen and a splenic mass.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22236280/