Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Procalcitonin and beta-defensin2 levels in dogs with acute diarrhea
By Neumann, Stephan et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2022·Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Investigation of procalcitonin and beta-defensin2 in the serum and feces of dogs with acute diarrhea.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with acute diarrhea was studied to see if certain blood and stool markers could help determine how severe their condition was and how well they might recover. The dogs with diarrhea had higher levels of procalcitonin (PCT) in their blood and lower levels of beta-defensin2 (Bdef2) in their feces compared to healthy dogs. These markers could help vets assess whether the diarrhea is uncomplicated or more serious, which can guide treatment decisions. The findings suggest that measuring these markers could be useful for understanding and managing acute diarrhea in dogs.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Acute diarrhea is a common clinical condition where clinical parameters are used to assess disease severity, course, and prognosis. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate procalcitonin (PCT) and beta-defensin2 (Bdef2) as biomarkers for disease severity, course, and prognosis of dogs with acute diarrhea. METHODS: Dogs with acute diarrhea (enteritis group [EG], n = 35) were compared with 30 healthy controls. The dogs in the EG were scored using the Canine Acute Diarrhea Severity (CADS) index and grouped by bacterial fecal culture results. Procalcitonin and Bdef2 were analyzed in serum and feces. RESULTS: Dogs with acute diarrhea showed higher serum PCT concentrations (P < 0.0001) and lower fecal Bdef2 concentrations (P = 0.0001) than unaffected dogs. Serum PCT was moderately and positively related to the extent of disease classified by the CADS score. Dogs with Clostridium perfringens or hemolyzing Escherichia coli as predominant pathogen had increased serum Bdef2 concentrations (P < 0.01). Differentiation between uncomplicated (≤3 days) and complicated (>3 days) disease courses, determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, resulted in a sensitivity of 0.74 and a specificity of 0.69 for serum PCT at a cutoff of 3.9 ng/mL. The serum PCT and fecal Bdef2 quotient resulted in a sensitivity of 0.80 and a specificity of 0.92, with a cutoff of 80.5. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study indicate that PCT and Bdef2 are potential biomarkers that can provide information on the severity, course, and prognosis of acute diarrhea in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35040162/