Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Autoantibodies to desmoglein-2 found in dogs with and without heart
By Walker, Ashley L et al.·Published in Scientific reports·2023·William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of autoantibodies to desmoglein-2 in dogs with and without cardiac disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs, including Boxers and Doberman Pinschers, were tested for specific antibodies related to heart disease. The study found that all dogs had these antibodies, but their presence did not clearly indicate heart problems or severity of the disease. In Boxers with a specific heart condition called arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), there was a strong link between the antibodies and the complexity of their heart rhythm issues. However, more research is needed to understand the significance of these antibodies in dogs with heart disease.
People also search for: Boxer dog heart disease symptoms · dog arrhythmia treatment · Doberman heart problems · anti-desmoglein-2 antibodies in dogs
Abstract
Autoantibodies to desmoglein-2 have been associated with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) in people. ARVC is a common disease in the Boxer dog. The role of anti-desmoglein-2 antibodies in Boxers with ARVC and correlation with disease status or severity is unknown. This prospective study is the first to evaluate dogs of various breeds and cardiac disease state for anti-desmoglein-2 antibodies. The sera of 46 dogs (10 ARVC Boxers, 9 healthy Boxers, 10 Doberman Pinschers with dilated cardiomyopathy, 10 dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease, and 7 healthy non-Boxer dogs) were assessed for antibody presence and concentration via Western blotting and densitometry. Anti-desmoglein-2 antibodies were detected in all dogs. Autoantibody expression did not differ between study groups and there was no correlation with age or body weight. In dogs with cardiac disease, there was weak correlation with left ventricular dilation (r = 0.423, p = 0.020) but not left atrial size (r = 0.160, p = 0.407). In ARVC Boxers there was strong correlation with the complexity of ventricular arrhythmias (r = 0.841, p = 0.007) but not total number of ectopic beats (r = 0.383, p = 0.313). Anti-desmoglein-2 antibodies were not disease specific in the studied population of dogs. Correlation with some measures of disease severity requires further study with larger populations.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36977772/