Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Procollagen marker levels in dogs with lung fibrosis versus bronchitis
By Heikkilä, Henna P et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2013·Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Procollagen type III amino terminal propeptide concentrations in dogs with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis compared with chronic bronchitis and eosinophilic bronchopneumopathy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old Beagle was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) after showing signs of breathing problems and a persistent cough. Researchers found that a specific marker in the lung fluid, called PIIINP, was significantly higher in dogs with IPF compared to healthy dogs and those with chronic bronchitis. This suggests that measuring PIIINP in lung fluid could help identify IPF in dogs. Unfortunately, the study did not provide specific treatments or outcomes for the Beagle, but understanding this marker could lead to better diagnosis and management of the condition in the future.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · Beagle cough treatment · idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in dogs
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterised by an abnormal accumulation of collagen type III in the pulmonary interstitium. Procollagen type III amino terminal propeptide (PIIINP) is used as a marker of collagen type III synthesis. In this study, the concentrations of PIIINP were investigated in dogs with IPF (n=15), dogs with chronic bronchitis (CB, n=19), dogs with eosinophilic bronchopneumopathy (EBP, n=13) and healthy dogs (n=25). PIIINP concentrations in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were analysed by radioimmunoassay. Serum PIIINP values did not differ between groups, indicating that serum PIIINP is not useful in evaluating respiratory diseases in dogs. BALF PIIINP was significantly elevated in dogs with IPF compared with healthy dogs (P=0.002) and dogs with CB (P<0.001). BALF PIIINP was significantly higher in dogs with EBP than in dogs with CB (P=0.003) or healthy dogs (P=0.022). There were no differences in BALF PIIINP concentrations between dogs with IPF and dogs with EBP or between dogs with CB and healthy dogs. These results indicate that IPF is associated with elevated BALF PIIINP concentrations. BALF PIIINP concentrations also are elevated in EBP, possibly due to secondary fibrotic changes.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22909956/