Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pancreas-specific lipase in dog belly fluid helps diagnose
By Chartier, Marie A et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2014·Veterinary Specialty Hospital of San Diego, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pancreas-specific lipase concentrations and amylase and lipase activities in the peritoneal fluid of dogs with suspected pancreatitis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs suspected of having pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) were tested for specific enzymes in their abdominal fluid to help confirm the diagnosis. The study found that measuring pancreas-specific lipase levels was very effective, with a 100% success rate in identifying dogs with pancreatitis. While the other enzymes, amylase and lipase, were also helpful, they were not as reliable. This means that if your dog shows signs of pancreatitis, like vomiting or abdominal pain, your vet might check these enzyme levels in the fluid to help make a diagnosis.
People also search for: dog pancreatitis symptoms · dog vomiting treatment · dog abdominal pain diagnosis
Abstract
Diagnosing acute pancreatitis in the dog can be challenging. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of pancreas-specific lipase immunoreactivity (cPLI), and the activities of amylase and lipase, in the peritoneal fluid from a population of dogs diagnosed with acute pancreatitis based on clinical signs, ultrasonographic findings and serum cPLI concentrations. In a prospective study, cPLI concentrations, and amylase and lipase activities, were measured in the peritoneal fluid of 14 dogs with pancreatitis and 19 dogs with non-pancreatic disease. The sensitivity and specificity of peritoneal fluid cPLI concentration (cut-off value 500 µg/L) were 100.0% (95% confidence interval, CI, 80.7-100.0%) and 94.7% (95% CI 76.7-99.7%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of peritoneal fluid amylase (cut-off value 1050 U/L) and lipase activities (cut-off value 500 U/L) were 71.4% (95% CI 44.5-90.2%) and 84.2% (95% CI 62.8-95.8%) for amylase activity, and 92.9% (95% CI 69.5-99.6%) and 94.7% (95% CI 76.7-99.7%) for lipase activity, respectively. In conclusion, peritoneal fluid cPLI concentration was highly sensitive as a complementary diagnostic tool in a group of dogs with suspected acute pancreatitis. Peritoneal fluid lipase activity was not as sensitive as cPLI concentration, but may also support a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25106805/