Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood tests for cancer in dogs using protein kinase A and CRP levels
By Ryu, Min-Ok et al.·Published in Veterinary and comparative oncology·2019·College of Veterinary Medicine, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Extracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase A autoantibody and C-reactive protein as serum biomarkers for diagnosis of cancer in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that dogs with cancer had higher levels of certain proteins in their blood compared to healthy dogs and those with benign tumors. Specifically, researchers looked at a protein called ECPKA and another marker called C-reactive protein (CRP). They discovered that measuring both ECPKA and CRP together could help veterinarians more accurately diagnose cancer in dogs. This means that if your dog is showing symptoms that could indicate cancer, these blood tests might provide useful information for your vet to make a diagnosis.
People also search for: dog cancer symptoms · blood test for dog cancer · ECPKA levels in dogs
Abstract
Protein kinase A, a cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-dependent enzyme, normally exists within mammalian cells; however, in cancer cells, it can leak out and be found in the serum. Extracellular cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase A (ECPKA) has been determined to increase in the serum of cancer-bearing dogs. However, there have been no reports in the veterinary literature on serum ECPKA autoantibody (ECPKA-Ab) expression in dogs with cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate ECPKA-Ab and C-reactive protein (CRP) as serum biomarkers for cancer in dogs. ECPKA-Ab and CRP levels were detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in serum samples from dogs with malignant tumours (n = 167), benign tumours (n = 42), or non-tumour disease (n = 155) and from healthy control dogs (n = 123). ECPKA-Ab and CRP levels were significantly higher in the dogs with malignant tumours than in those with benign tumours or non-tumour diseases, as well as in the healthy controls (P < 0.001, Kruskal-Wallis test). There was a significant positive correlation between the neoplastic index, which was developed using ECPKA-Ab and CRP levels, and the presence of cancer in dogs (P < 0.001); the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve was estimated to be >0.85 (P < 0.001). In conclusion, ECPKA-Ab is a potential serum biomarker for a broad spectrum of cancers. Combined measurement of CRP and ECPKA-Ab levels in serum improves the sensitivity and accuracy of a diagnosis of cancer in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30411459/