Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Procalcitonin levels in healthy dogs and dogs after knee surgery
By Rompf, Johanna et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2023·Department of Clinical Veterinary Science·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Plasma procalcitonin kinetics in healthy dogs and dogs undergoing tibial plateau leveling osteotomy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of healthy dogs and dogs with a torn knee ligament (CCL rupture) undergoing surgery were studied to see how a specific blood marker (procalcitonin) changed before and after their operations. The dogs had their blood tested multiple times, and it was found that the blood marker levels were not significantly different between healthy dogs and those needing surgery. After surgery, the marker levels dropped significantly, indicating no signs of infection during recovery. Overall, the study suggests that these surgeries do not raise the marker levels, which is a good sign for recovery.
People also search for: dog knee surgery recovery · procalcitonin levels in dogs · CCL rupture surgery outcome
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Procalcitonin (PCT) is a well-established biomarker for bacterial infection in human patients. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to analyze the kinetics of plasma PCT (pPCT) in healthy dogs and dogs with canine cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture undergoing tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO). METHODS: This prospective, longitudinal study included 15 healthy dogs and 25 dogs undergoing TPLO. Hematology, pPCT, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were assessed on 3 consecutive days in healthy dogs and 1 day preoperatively and days 1, 2, 10, and 56 postoperatively. Inter- and intraindividual variability of pPCT were assessed in healthy dogs. Median pPCT concentrations of dogs with CCL rupture preoperatively were compared with healthy controls, and median pPCT concentrations, as well as percentage change post anesthesia, arthroscopy, and TPLO, were compared with baseline. For the correlation analysis, the Spearman rank correlation test was used. RESULTS: Inter- and intraindividual variabilities of pPCT in healthy dogs were 36% and 15%, respectively. Median baseline pPCT concentrations were not significantly different between healthy dogs (118.9 pg/mL; IQR: 75.3-157.3 pg/mL) and dogs undergoing TPLO (95.9 pg/mL; IQR: 63.8-117.0 pg/mL). Plasma PCT concentrations were significantly lower immediately post- than preoperatively (P < 0.001). CRP, WBC, and neutrophil concentrations increased significantly on post-OP day 2 and had normalized by day 10. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that CCL rupture, as well as anesthesia, arthroscopy, and TPLO combined, are not associated with increased pPCT concentrations in dogs with uncomplicated recovery. Considering the high intraindividual variability, individual serial measurements rather than a population-based reference interval should be considered.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36898678/