Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Lab test signs of hypothyroidism and thyroid antibodies in Eurasian
By Schlipf, Martina et al.·Published in PloS one·2023·Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Laboratory indicators of hypothyroidism and TgAA-positivity in the Eurasian dog breed.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of Eurasian dogs was tested for thyroid problems, specifically hypothyroidism, which can affect their health. The study found that about 3.9% of these dogs had hypothyroidism, while 7.9% had a positive test for thyroglobulin autoantibodies (TgAA), which can indicate a risk for developing thyroid issues. Notably, some dogs with positive TgAA were already showing signs of hypothyroidism at their first check-up, and many of those went on to develop the condition later. This suggests that regular monitoring is important for this breed to catch thyroid problems early.
People also search for: Eurasian dog hypothyroidism symptoms · dog thyroid problems treatment · TgAA positive in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hereditary hypothyroidism represents a concern for dog breeders; thus, surveillance programs have been established for several dog breeds. METHODS: Thyroid profiles (total thyroxine (TT4), thyrotropin (thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH)), and thyroglobulin autoantibodies (TgAA)) collected as part of a breed surveillance program in Eurasians (2009-2017) were retrospectively analyzed. The study included data from 1,501 Eurasians from a German breeding club. Classification was exclusively based on laboratory data. Hypothyroidism was defined as a combined decrease in TT4 and increase in TSH in serum and was classified as TgAA-positive and TgAA-negative hypothyroidism. Thyroglobulin autoantibodies (TgAA) independent of the concentrations of TT4 and TSH were determined. The overall prevalence of hypothyroidism, TgAA-positive hypothyroidism, TgAA-negative hypothyroidism and TgAA-positivity was assessed when the dogs entered the program. Follow-up laboratory data was available for 324 dogs without hypothyroidism on initial examination. RESULTS: The initial screening was performed at a median age of 18 months (interquartile range (IQR): 15-29). The overall prevalence of hypothyroidism was 3.9% (n = 58; 95% CI: 2.9-4.8%) and the prevalence of a positive TgAA status was 7.9% (n = 118; 95% CI: 6.6-9.3%). The prevalence of TgAA-positive and TgAA-negative hypothyroidism was 1.7% (n = 26; 95% CI: 1.1-2.4%) and 2.1% (n = 32; 95% CI: 1.4-2.9%), respectively. 22.0% of dogs with positive TgAA status (26/118) were already hypothyroid on initial examination. Overall, 42.5% (17/40) of TgAA-positive dogs on initial examination developed hypothyroidism on follow-up. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrate that the Eurasian dog breed exhibits a relevant risk for hypothyroidism and presence of TgAA. The predictive value of TgAA for hypothyroidism or developing hypothyroidism was high in this breed. Further investigations with longitudinal studies in individual dogs are warranted.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36693083/