Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Accuracy of a new platelet antibody test for dogs with low platelets
By Bachman, Dawn E et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2015·MedVet, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Prospective diagnostic accuracy evaluation and clinical utilization of a modified assay for platelet-associated immunoglobulin in thrombocytopenic and nonthrombocytopenic dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with low platelet counts (thrombocytopenia) were tested to see if a new blood test could help identify a specific type of immune-related condition called primary immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (pIMT). The tests showed that while the new methods improved the ability to diagnose pIMT, they still weren't perfect. In particular, the tests had a high sensitivity for detecting pIMT but lower specificity, meaning they sometimes gave false positives. Overall, the study suggests that while these new tests are a step forward, there's still no single test that can reliably diagnose this condition in dogs.
People also search for: dog low platelet count treatment · dog immune-mediated thrombocytopenia symptoms · how to diagnose dog thrombocytopenia
Abstract
BACKGROUND: No diagnostic tests reliably distinguish primary immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (pIMT) from other causes of thrombocytopenia. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to evaluate diagnostic sensitivity and specificity using modified direct and indirect platelet-associated immunoglobulin (PAIg) assays and reticulated platelets (RP) by flow cytometry for the classification of thrombocytopenic dogs and differentiating pIMT. METHODS: Platelets were isolated from plasma samples of thrombocytopenic dogs and nonthrombocytopenic healthy and ill dogs. For direct PAIg, they were analyzed by flow cytometry after incubation with anti-human amylase fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC, negative control), anti-canine IgG-FITC, anti-canine IgM-FITC, and anti-human CD61-conjugated fluorochrome (AF647). For indirect PAIg, platelets from normothrombocytic dogs were incubated with thrombocytopenic dog plasma and analyzed similar to direct PAIg. RP percentages were determined based on forward light scatter vs thiazole orange fluorescence. RESULTS: Seventy-five thrombocytopenic dogs, 16 nonthrombocytopenic ill dogs, and 24 healthy dogs were evaluated. Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity utilizing direct IgG was 29.4% and 75.9%, respectively; when combining direct/indirect assays (IgG/IgM), it was 76.5% and 65.5%, respectively, for distinguishing pIMT. For RP, no significant difference between pIMT and sIMT was noted. RP > 8% with positive PAIg had a sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 27.6% for distinguishing pIMT. There was a significant difference in platelet concentration and CD61% staining between control and pIMT. CONCLUSIONS: The combined modified assays resulted in fair diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of pIMT. The modification of the immunoglobulin assays improved diagnostic accuracy; however, a single panel to accurately classify thrombocytopenia remains elusive.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26302235/