Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Nucleated red blood cells linked to inflammation severity in dogs
By Cho, ARom et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2025·College of Veterinary Medicine, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Nucleated red blood cells for characterization of systemic inflammatory response syndrome in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 62 dogs with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) were studied to see how the presence of nucleated red blood cells (nRBCs) in their blood could indicate the severity of their condition. Dogs with higher levels of nRBCs showed worse overall health and had a shorter survival time compared to those with lower levels. The findings suggest that checking for nRBCs can help veterinarians assess how serious a dog's SIRS is and predict their chances of recovery. This quick test could be useful for guiding treatment decisions in affected dogs.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Nucleated red blood cells (nRBCs) are increased by disease processes and hematopoietic stress. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the utility of nRBCs as a marker of disease severity and prognosis in dogs with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). ANIMALS: Sixty-two client-owned dogs met the criteria of SIRS without anemia. METHODS: nRBC-positive (nRBCs: ≥5/500, n = 32) and nRBC-negative (nRBCs: <5/500, n = 30) dogs were classified, and clinicopathological data, Acute Patient Physiologic and Laboratory Evaluation (APPLE) scores, cytokines, 2- and 4-weeks survival were compared. RESULTS: The median WBC (17.63, interquartile range [IQR]: 11.72-20.24 × 10/L), neutrophils (12.28, IQR: 7.17-16.88 × 10/L), band neutrophils (1288.5, IQR: 252.5-2575 cells/μL), serum IL-6 (731.80, IQR: 299.79-5522.05 pg/mL), and plasma C-reactive protein (4.10, IQR: 1.00-8.58 mg/L) were significantly higher in nRBC-positive dogs than negative dogs (11.27, IQR: 7.63-15.13 × 10/L; 7.57, IQR: 4.96-11.71 × 10/L; 62.5, IQR: 0-350.25 cells/μL; 232.30, IQR: 99.33-447.01 pg/mL; 0.40, IQR: 0.10-3.00 mg/L, respectively; P < .05). The median reticulocyte count (87.95, IQR: 52.45-130.55 × 10/μL) and serum IL-3 (40.94, IQR: 29.85-53.52 ng/L) were also significantly greater in nRBC-positive dogs than nRBC-negative dogs (46.00, IQR: 26.43-68.15 × 10/μL; 25.24, IQR: 21.65-37.40 ng/L, respectively; P < .01). The presence of circulating nRBCs, but not the reticulocyte count, at admission was predictive of death in dogs with SIRS at 2 weeks (P = .01, AUC: 0.729) and 4 weeks (P = .002, AUC: 0.731). The overall survival time was shorter in nRBC-positive dogs (95% CI, 47.35-113.90) than nRBC-negative dogs (95% CI, 90.92-135.55; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Measuring peripheral nRBCs in dogs with SIRS is rapid and clinically applicable, reflecting disease severity and associated prognosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39638638/