Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Kidney damage signs in dogs with pyometra using urine tests
By Maddens, B et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2011·Department of Pharmacology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of kidney injury in dogs with pyometra based on proteinuria, renal histomorphology, and urinary biomarkers.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 47 female dogs with pyometra (a serious uterine infection) were evaluated for kidney damage, as many showed signs of protein in their urine. The study found that a significant number of these dogs had elevated protein levels, indicating potential kidney injury. After surgery to treat the pyometra, some dogs continued to show concerning kidney changes, suggesting they may need ongoing monitoring. The findings highlight the importance of checking kidney function in dogs with pyometra, especially those with high protein levels in their urine.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Proteinuria is a feature of pyometra-associated renal dysfunction, but its prevalence and clinical relevance are not well characterized. OBJECTIVES: To define which subset of dogs with pyometra has clinically relevant kidney injury by quantification of proteinuria; light, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopic examination of kidney biopsy specimens; and measurement of urinary biomarkers. ANIMALS: Forty-seven dogs with pyometra. Ten clinically healthy intact bitches of comparable age. METHODS: Prospective study. Routine clinicopathological variables including urinary protein to creatinine ratio (UPC) were analyzed. Validated assays were used to quantify urinary biomarkers for glomerular (urinary albumin, urinary immunoglobulin G, urinary C-reactive protein, urinary thromboxane B(2)) and tubular function (urinary retinol-binding protein, urinary N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase). Kidney biopsy specimens from 10 dogs with pyometra and dipstick urine protein concentrations of 2+ or 3+ were collected during ovariohysterectomy. Urinalysis was repeated within 3 weeks after surgery in 9 of the 10 dogs. RESULTS: UPC (median, range) was significantly higher in dogs with pyometra (0.48, 0.05-8.69) compared with healthy bitches (0.08, 0.02-0.16) (P < .01). Twenty-two of 47 dogs with pyometra had UPC>0.5, 12 had UPC>1.0, and 7 had UPC>2.0. Glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial nephritis were common kidney biopsy findings in proteinuric dogs with pyometra. Dogs with glomerulosclerosis (5/10), either global or focal and segmental, had UPC>1.0 at ovariohysterectomy and afterward. Dogs with structural glomerular and tubular changes mostly had urinary biomarker to creatinine ratios above the 75th percentile. CONCLUSION: Dogs with pyometra and UPC>1.0 or high ratios of urinary biomarkers appear likely to have clinically relevant renal histologic lesions and require monitoring after ovariohysterectomy. Future studies should evaluate the role of pyometra-associated pathogenic mechanisms in causing or exacerbating focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21848947/