Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Heart muscle damage in dogs with heartworm disease shown by protein
By Carretón, E et al.·Published in Veterinary parasitology·2012·Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Myocardial damage in dogs affected by heartworm disease (Dirofilaria immitis): immunohistochemical study of cardiac myoglobin and troponin I in naturally infected dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 24 dogs with heartworm disease showed signs of heart muscle damage, which was confirmed through tests on their heart tissue. The dogs had increased levels of myoglobin and cardiac troponin I, both of which are markers for heart injury. Microscopic examinations revealed damage to the heart muscle cells, indicating that heartworm disease can lead to serious heart problems. This study highlights the importance of monitoring heart health in dogs affected by heartworm disease.
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Abstract
It has recently been reported that dogs affected by canine heartworm disease (Dirofilaria immitis) can show an increase in plasma levels of myoglobin and cardiac troponin I, two markers of muscle/myocardial injury. In order to determine if this increase is due to myocardial damage, the right ventricle of 24 naturally infected dogs was examined by routine histology and immunohistochemistry with anti-myoglobin and anti-cardiac troponin I antibodies. Microscopic lesions included necrosis and myocyte vacuolization, and were associated with loss of staining for one or both proteins. Results confirm that increased levels of myoglobin and cardiac troponin I are indicative of myocardial damage in dogs affected by heartworm disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22571834/