Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How well microRNA-122 detects liver disease in dogs
By Oosthuyzen, W et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2018·University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Sensitivity and specificity of microRNA-122 for liver disease in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that measuring a specific biomarker called microRNA-122 (miR-122) in dogs can help diagnose liver disease. In healthy dogs, miR-122 levels were much lower compared to dogs with confirmed liver disease, where levels were significantly elevated. This test showed a high accuracy in identifying liver issues, with a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 97%. This means that if your dog has liver disease, there's a good chance this test will detect it, making it a useful tool for veterinarians.
People also search for: dog liver disease symptoms · miR-122 test for dogs · how to diagnose liver problems in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Current tests for diagnosing liver disease in dogs are sub-optimal. MicroRNA-122 (miR-122) is a sensitive and specific biomarker of liver injury in humans and rodents. Circulating miR-122 could have utility in identifying dogs with liver disease. OBJECTIVE: Establish the reference interval for miR-122 in healthy dogs and determine performance in a range of dog breeds with liver disease and control animals with non-liver disease. ANIMALS: Stored serum from 120 healthy dogs, 100 dogs with non-liver diseases, and 30 dogs with histologically confirmed liver disease was analyzed. METHODS: Retrospective study. Medical records of dogs with liver disease, non-liver disease and healthy dogs were reviewed. Serum miR-122 concentrations were measured by PCR and compared with the characteristics of the dogs and their conventional clinical measurements. RESULTS: In healthy dogs the 2.5th, 50th, and 97.5th quartiles of miR-122 were 110 (90% CI 80-114), 594 (505-682), and 3312 (2925-5144) copies/μL, respectively. There was no difference between healthy dogs and dogs with non-liver disease (median ± IQR: healthy dogs 609 [327-1014] copies/μL; non-liver disease 607 [300-1351] copies/μL). miR-122 was higher in dogs with liver disease (11 332 [4418-20 520] copies/μL, P < .001 compared to healthy dogs). miR-122 identified dogs with liver disease with high accuracy (receiver operating characteristic area under curve for comparison with healthy dogs: 0.93 [95% CI 0.86-0.99]). The upper limit of normal for healthy dogs (3312 copies/μL) had a sensitivity of 77% and specificity of 97% for identifying liver disease. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Liver disease can be sensitively and specifically diagnosed in dogs by measurement of miR-122.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30070004/