Comparing blood protein changes in dogs with induced pancreatitis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Acute pancreatitis triggers the production of acute-phase proteins (APPs) in the body, among which C-reactive protein (CRP) is the most extensively studied and widely used for both diagnosis and prognosis. The diagnostic value of other APPs is less well known. Our study aimed to compare six APPs in a canine model of experimentally induced acute pancreatitis (AP). We measured serum CRP, serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (HAPT), hepcidin-α and -ß (HEPC-α, HEPC-ß), and albumin (ALB) levels in 10 dogs over 8 consecutive days following AP induction with cerulein injections. RESULTS: During the study, CRP was the most consistent marker for tracking temporal changes in pancreatic enzymes among the studied APPs. We found no correlation between pancreatic enzymes and CRP or SAA levels; however, a significant positive correlation was observed between CRP and SAA. A moderate correlation was identified between serum cholesterol levels and both CRP and SAA concentrations. Albumin exhibited a moderate negative correlation with CRP and SAA. Neither HAPT nor hepcidins correlated with CRP, SAA, or pancreatic enzymes. Serum albumin remained within the reference interval. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our experimental results, CRP remains the most consistent APP for monitoring canine pancreatitis. Our findings did not support the practical usefulness of hepcidins or haptoglobin in tracking pancreatitis in dogs.