Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Urinary Tamm-Horsfall protein and kidney function in dogs with kidney
By Raila, Jens et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2014·Institute of Nutritional Science, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Relationship between urinary Tamm-Horsfall protein excretion and renal function in dogs with naturally occurring renal disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with kidney disease showed lower levels of a protein called Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) in their urine, which could indicate damage to the kidneys. The study found that dogs with more severe kidney issues, specifically those that were azotemic (having high levels of waste in the blood) and proteinuric (having protein in the urine), had significantly reduced THP levels. This suggests that measuring THP could help veterinarians understand kidney problems better. While the study didn't test specific treatments, knowing about THP levels might help guide future care for dogs with renal disease.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Tamm-Horsfall protein (THP) is physiologically excreted in urine, but little is known about the role of THP in the diagnosis of renal disease in dogs. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate to which extent naturally occurring renal disease affects the urinary excretion of THP. METHODS: Dogs were divided into 5 groups according to plasma creatinine concentration, urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio (UP/UC), and exogenous plasma creatinine clearance (P-ClCr ) rates: Group A (healthy control dogs; n = 8), nonazotemic and nonproteinuric dogs, with P-ClCr rates > 90 mL/min/m(2) ; group B (n = 25), nonazotemic and nonproteinuric dogs with reduced P-ClCr rates (51-89 mL/min/m(2) ); group C (n = 7), nonazotemic but proteinuric dogs with P-ClCr rates 53-98 mL/min/m(2) ; group D (n = 8), azotemic and borderline proteinuric dogs (P-ClCr rates: 22-45 mL/min/m(2) ); and group E (n = 15), azotemic and proteinuric dogs (not tested for P-ClCr ). THP was measured by quantitative Western blot analysis, and the ratio of THP-to-urinary creatinine (THP/UC) was calculated. RESULTS: The THP/UC concentrations were not different among dogs of groups A-D, but were reduced in dogs of group E (P < .001). THP/UC correlated negatively with serum creatinine (P < .01) and UP/UC (P < .01), but was not significantly associated with P-ClCr . CONCLUSIONS: Decreased levels of THP/UC were present in moderately to severely azotemic and proteinuric dogs. This suggests tubular injury in these dogs and that THP might be useful as urinary marker to study the pathogenesis of renal disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24894070/