Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Microalbuminuria linked to Lyme exposure in healthy Labs and Goldens
By Goldstein, Richard E et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary diagnostic investigation : official publication of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians, Inc·2007·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Microalbuminuria and comparison of serologic testing for exposure to Borrelia burgdorferi in nonclinical Labrador and Golden Retrievers.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of young, healthy Labrador and Golden Retrievers were tested for Lyme disease, which is caused by a tick-borne bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. While some dogs showed exposure to the bacteria, only a small percentage had microalbuminuria, a condition where protein leaks into the urine, which can indicate kidney issues. The study found no link between the presence of microalbuminuria and exposure to Lyme disease in these dogs. This suggests that microalbuminuria is probably not caused by Lyme disease in these healthy breeds.
People also search for: dog Lyme disease symptoms · Labrador microalbuminuria · Golden Retriever kidney problems · Lyme disease test for dogs
Abstract
Canine Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi after transmission by an Ixodes tick, typically resulting in joint pain, fever and lethargy. Lyme nephritis is a poorly characterized syndrome associated with severe glomerular and tubular renal injury and poor clinical outcome in young to middle-aged dogs positive for exposure to B. burgdorferi. The aims of this study were to identify associations between natural exposure to B. burgdorferi and the presence of microalbuminuria in nonclinical young Labrador and Golden Retrievers and to compare two commonly used serologic tests available to document B. burgdorferi exposure: the Western blot and the commercial point-of-care C6 peptide enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests. Microalbuminuria was assessed using a commercial point-of-care ELISA specific for canine albumin. Blood and urine samples from 268 asymptomatic Labrador and Golden Retrievers were included. Of these, 18.7% were positive for B. burgdorferi exposure according to the C6 ELISA; 21.2% were positive for natural exposure to B. burgdorferi and 11.5% for vaccinal antibodies according to the Western blot. The agreement rate was 93% between the two tests (kappa = 0.78, P < 0.0001) for natural exposure. Urine from 6.1% of the dogs was positive for microalbuminuria. There was no association between microalbuminuria and exposure to B. burgdorferi based on results of a Western blot (P = 0.57) or C6 ELISA (P = 0.53). Microalbuminuria is likely not a consequence of B. burgdorferi exposure in young nonclinical Labrador and Golden Retrievers.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17459861/