Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Serum L-phenylalanine levels as a liver disease test in dogs
By Neumann, Stephan et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2007·Small Animal Clinic, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of serum L-phenylalanine concentration as indicator of liver disease in dogs: a pilot study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with liver disease had higher levels of a specific amino acid called L-phenylalanine in their blood compared to healthy dogs and those with other health issues. This suggests that measuring L-phenylalanine could be a useful way for veterinarians to assess liver function. However, the study found no significant differences in L-phenylalanine levels among dogs with varying severity of liver disease. This means while it can indicate liver problems, it may not show how severe the issue is.
People also search for: dog liver disease symptoms · high L-phenylalanine in dogs · liver function tests for dogs
Abstract
Because essential amino acids are metabolized in the liver, liver diseases may impair their catabolism. In this study, serum L-phenylalanine concentrations in 28 dogs with liver diseases were compared with those of 28 healthy dogs and 13 dogs with nonhepatic diseases. Dogs with liver diseases had significantly increased L-phenylalanine serum concentrations compared to healthy dogs (P<0.001) and to those with nonhepatic diseases (P<0.01). There were no significant differences among the L-phenylalanine serum concentrations of dogs with different degrees of liver diseases. The sensitivity and specificity of L-phenylalanine to fasting bile acids were comparable.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17615399/