Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Testing urine protein types in dogs using gel electrophoresis methods
By Giori, Luca et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2011·Department of Veterinary Pathology Hygiene and Public Health, Italy·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: High-resolution gel electrophoresis and sodium dodecyl sulphate-agarose gel electrophoresis on urine samples for qualitative analysis of proteinuria in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study looked at urine samples from dogs to see if two testing methods could help identify proteinuria, which is when there’s too much protein in the urine. The researchers found that both methods were effective, but high-resolution electrophoresis (HRE) was better at identifying certain types of proteinuria compared to the standard method. They discovered that specific levels of albumin and alpha-1-globulin in the urine could indicate whether the proteinuria was due to kidney damage or other issues. This means that if your dog has a high protein level in their urine, these tests can help your vet understand the cause better.
People also search for: dog protein in urine · dog kidney disease tests · proteinuria treatment in dogs
Abstract
The aims of the current study were to assess whether sodium dodecyl sulphate-agarose gel electrophoresis (SDS-AGE) and high-resolution electrophoresis (HRE) can identify dogs with a urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPC ratio) >0.2 and whether HRE can provide preliminary information about the type of proteinuria, using SDS-AGE as a reference method. HRE and SDS-AGE were conducted on 87 urine samples classified according to the International Renal Interest Society as non-proteinuric (NP; UPC ratio: <0.20; 32/87), borderline proteinuric (BP; UPC ratio: 0.21-0.50; 15/87), or proteinuric (P; UPC ratio: >0.51; 40/87). SDS-AGE and HRE were positive in 14 out of 32 and 3 out of 32 NP samples and in 52 out of 55 and 40 out of 55 samples with a UPC ratio >0.20, respectively. The concordance between HRE or SDS and UPC ratio was comparable (κ = 0.59; κ = 0.55). However, specificity (90%) and positive likelihood ratio (7.76) were higher for HRE than for SDS-AGE (56% and 2.16) while sensitivity was lower (73% vs. 94%). The analysis of HRE results revealed that a percentage of albumin >41.4% and an albumin/α(1)-globulin ratio (alb/α(1) ratio) >1.46 can identify samples classified by SDS-AGE as affected by glomerular proteinuria while a percentage of α(1)-globulin >40.8% and an alb/α(1) ratio <0.84 can identify samples classified by SDS-AGE as affected by tubular proteinuria. In conclusion, both SDS-AGE and HRE could misclassify samples with a UPC ratio higher or lower than 0.20. Therefore, UPC ratio must always be determined before conducting these tests. The percentage of albumin and α(1)-globulin or the alb/α(1) ratio determined by HRE can provide preliminary information about the origin of proteinuria.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21908309/