Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Homocysteine levels in dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive
By Benvenuti, Elena et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary science·2020·Department of Veterinary Science, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serum homocysteine concentration in dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 29 dogs with a condition called immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy (which causes chronic intestinal issues) had higher levels of a substance called homocysteine in their blood compared to 24 healthy dogs. While the elevated homocysteine levels were noted, researchers found no clear link between these levels and the dogs' overall health or response to treatment. This means that while homocysteine levels were higher in these dogs, it’s still unclear what this means for their prognosis or recovery. More research is needed to understand the role of homocysteine in these cases.
People also search for: dog intestinal problems treatment · immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy in dogs · high homocysteine levels in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Homocysteine (HCY) was evaluated in healthy and chronic enteropathic dogs, however no studies on dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy are available. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to evaluate serum HCY concentrations and its prognostic role in dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy compared to healthy dogs. METHODS: Serum HCY concentration was statistically compared between 24 healthy dogs and 29 dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy. Correlation analyses between serum total protein, albumin (ALB), C-reactive protein (CRP), folate and cobalamin, and serum HCY concentration were performed in immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathic dogs. RESULTS: The associations between serum HCY concentration and clinical, histological, endoscopic scores and follow-up were evaluated. Mean serum HCY concentration was higher in immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathic dogs compared to control dogs (30.22 ± 8.67 μmol/L vs. 5.26 ± 2.78 μmol/L;< 0.0001). No association between serum HCY concentration and total protein, ALB, CRP, folate concentration as well as, clinical score, histological and endoscopic scores was found. A negative correlation between serum HCY concentration and cobalamin was noted (= 0.0025,= -0.54). No significant difference in HCY was found between responsive and non-responsive dogs or between survivors and non-survivors. CONCLUSIONS: Although, serum HCY concentration was higher in immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy, its prognostic value remains unclear. However, further prospective, large-scale studies are warranted to better investigate the possible prognostic role of HCY in immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathic dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32735090/