Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
NT-proBNP blood test helps classify heart failure in dogs
By Fox, P R et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2015·The Animal Medical Center, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Relationship of plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide concentrations to heart failure classification and cause of respiratory distress in dogs using a 2nd generation ELISA assay.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with breathing problems was tested for a heart condition called congestive heart failure (CHF) using a blood test that measures a specific protein (NT-proBNP). The results showed that dogs with CHF had much higher levels of this protein compared to those with breathing issues not related to heart problems. This test was effective in distinguishing between cardiac and noncardiac causes of respiratory distress, helping veterinarians assess the severity of heart disease in dogs. The findings suggest that this blood test can be a valuable tool in diagnosing and managing heart conditions in dogs.
People also search for: dog breathing problems · heart failure in dogs · NT-proBNP test for dogs · congestive heart failure symptoms in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cardiac biomarkers provide objective data that augments clinical assessment of heart disease (HD). HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Determine the utility of plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide concentration [NT-proBNP] measured by a 2nd generation canine ELISA assay to discriminate cardiac from noncardiac respiratory distress and evaluate HD severity. ANIMALS: Client-owned dogs (n = 291). METHODS: Multicenter, cross-sectional, prospective investigation. Medical history, physical examination, echocardiography, and thoracic radiography classified 113 asymptomatic dogs (group 1, n = 39 without HD; group 2, n = 74 with HD), and 178 with respiratory distress (group 3, n = 104 respiratory disease, either with or without concurrent HD; group 4, n = 74 with congestive heart failure [CHF]). HD severity was graded using International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council (ISACHC) and ACVIM Consensus (ACVIM-HD) schemes without knowledge of [NT-proBNP] results. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis assessed the capacity of [NT-proBNP] to discriminate between dogs with cardiac and noncardiac respiratory distress. Multivariate general linear models containing key clinical variables tested associations between [NT-proBNP] and HD severity. RESULTS: Plasma [NT-proBNP] (median; IQR) was higher in CHF dogs (5,110; 2,769-8,466 pmol/L) compared to those with noncardiac respiratory distress (1,287; 672-2,704 pmol/L; P < .0001). A cut-off >2,447 pmol/L discriminated CHF from noncardiac respiratory distress (81.1% sensitivity; 73.1% specificity; area under curve, 0.84). A multivariate model comprising left atrial to aortic ratio, heart rate, left ventricular diameter, end-systole, and ACVIM-HD scheme most accurately associated average plasma [NT-proBNP] with HD severity. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Plasma [NT-proBNP] was useful for discriminating CHF from noncardiac respiratory distress. Average plasma [NT-BNP] increased significantly as a function of HD severity using the ACVIM-HD classification scheme.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25308881/