Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Complement protein levels in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy
By Kang, Seonggweon et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2024·College of Veterinary Medicine, South Korea·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serum concentrations of complement C3 and C4 in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 49 dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE), which causes seizures without a known cause, had their blood tested for specific proteins called complement C3 and C4. The results showed that dogs with IE had higher levels of these proteins compared to healthy dogs, especially those experiencing more frequent seizures. This suggests that measuring C3 and C4 could help veterinarians diagnose IE in dogs, particularly in those having seizures more than three times a month. Understanding these levels may lead to better management of the condition.
People also search for: dog seizures treatment · idiopathic epilepsy in dogs · high complement levels in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: High concentrations of complement factors are presented in serum of animal epilepsy models and human patients with epilepsy. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether complement dysregulation occurs in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE). ANIMALS: The study included 49 dogs with IE subgrouped into treatment (n = 19), and nontreatment (n = 30), and 29 healthy dogs. METHODS: In this case-control study, the serum concentrations of the third (C3) and fourth (C4) components of the complement system were measured using a canine-specific ELISA kit. RESULTS: Serum C3 and C4 concentrations were significantly higher in dogs with IE (C3, median; 4.901 [IQR; 3.915-6.673] mg/mL, P < .001; C4, 0.327 [0.134-0.557] mg/mL, P = .03) than in healthy control dogs (C3, 3.550 [3.075-4.191] mg/mL; C4, 0.267 [0.131-0.427] mg/mL). No significant differences were observed in serum C3 and C4 concentrations between dogs in the treatment (C3, median; 4.894 [IQR; 4.192-5.715] mg/mL; C4, 0.427 [0.143-0.586] mg/mL) and nontreatment groups (C3, 5.051 [3.702-7.132] mg/mL; C4, 0.258 [0.130-0.489] mg/mL). Dogs with a seizure frequency >3 times/month had significantly higher serum C3 (6.461 [4.695-8.735] mg/mL; P < .01) and C4 (0.451 [0.163-0.675] mg/mL; P = .01) concentrations than those with a seizure frequency ≤3 times/month (C3, 3.859 [3.464-5.142] mg/mL; C4, 0.161 [0.100-0.325] mg/mL). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Dysregulation of classical complement pathway was identified in IE dogs. Serum C3 and C4 concentrations could be diagnostic biomarkers for IE in dogs with higher seizure frequency.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38329151/