Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
High TNF alpha linked to blood pressure and kidney damage in dogs
By Zygner, Wojciech et al.·Published in Parasitology research·2014·Department of Preclinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Increased concentration of serum TNF alpha and its correlations with arterial blood pressure and indices of renal damage in dogs infected with Babesia canis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 11 dogs infected with Babesia canis, a tick-borne parasite, showed increased levels of a protein called TNF-alpha in their blood, which is linked to serious health issues. These dogs experienced low blood pressure and signs of kidney damage, such as changes in urine concentration and protein levels. The study found that higher TNF-alpha levels were associated with worsening blood pressure and kidney function, suggesting that this protein plays a significant role in the complications of the disease. Treatment focused on managing the Babesia infection and monitoring kidney health, which is crucial for recovery.
People also search for: dog Babesia canis symptoms · low blood pressure in dogs · kidney damage in dogs treatment
Abstract
Canine babesiosis is a tick-borne disease caused by parasites of the genus Babesia. Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) is a cytokine that plays a role in the pathogenesis of canine babesiosis. In this study, the authors determined the concentration of serum TNF-α in 11 dogs infected with Babesia canis and calculated Spearman's rank correlations between the concentration of TNF-α and blood pressure, and between TNF-α and indices of renal damage such as: fractional excretion of sodium (FE(Na(+))), urinary creatinine to serum creatinine ratio (UCr/SCr), renal failure index (RFI), urine specific gravity (USG) and urinary protein to urinary creatinine ratio (UPC). The results demonstrated statistically significant strong negative correlations between TNF-α and systolic arterial pressure (r = -0.7246), diastolic arterial pressure (r = -0.6642) and mean arterial pressure (r = -0.7151). Serum TNF-α concentration was also statistically significantly correlated with FE(Na(+)) (r = 0.7056), UCr/SCr (r = -0.8199), USG (r = -0.8075) and duration of the disease (r = 0.6767). The results of this study show there is an increase of serum TNF-α concentration during canine babesiosis, and the increased TNF-α concentration has an influence on the development of hypotension and renal failure in canine babesiosis. This probably results from the fact that TNF-α is involved in the production of nitric oxide and induction of vasodilation and hypotension, which may cause renal ischaemia and hypoxia, and finally acute tubular necrosis and renal failure.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24553975/