Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Antiphospholipid antibodies found in healthy Bernese Mountain Dogs
By Nielsen, L N et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2011·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The presence of antiphospholipid antibodies in healthy Bernese Mountain Dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of healthy Bernese Mountain Dogs was tested for specific antibodies that might affect their blood clotting time. Researchers found that many of these dogs had higher levels of certain antibodies compared to other breeds, which could explain why their blood took longer to clot in tests. However, it's still unclear what this means for their health, as these dogs showed no signs of bleeding or other issues. If you have a Bernese Mountain Dog, it's good to be aware of this finding, but more research is needed to understand its significance.
People also search for: Bernese Mountain Dog blood test results · dog prolonged clotting time · lupus anticoagulants in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The role of antiphospholipid antibodies in the prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) previously identified in healthy Bernese Mountain Dogs remains unknown. In people, an isolated prolonged aPTT without evidence of bleeding might be because of a thrombophilic condition caused by antiphospholipid antibodies. OBJECTIVE: To examine if prolonged aPTT in healthy Bernese Mountain Dogs is because of antiphospholipid antibodies. ANIMALS: Twenty-two healthy Bernese Mountain Dogs and 10 healthy adult dogs of various breeds. METHODS: Prospective case control study. Healthy Bernese Moutain Dogs were examined twice over 6 months. Dogs were investigated for the presence of lupus anticoagulants and anticardiolipin (aCL) antibodies by the use of multiple aPTT tests with low and high lupus anticoagulant sensitivities, a mixing study, and an ELISA test for aCL antibody optical density to detect solid phase antiphospholipid antibodies. RESULTS: In all, 15 of 22 healthy Bernese Mountain Dogs were positive for lupus anticoagulants. The Bernese Mountain Dogs had markedly higher levels of aCL antibodies compared with the control dogs (P = .006). In all, 7 of 21 of the Bernese Mountain Dogs were positive for both lupus anticoagulants and aCL antibodies, whereas 4 of 21 Bernese Mountain Dogs were negative for both. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Lupus anticoagulants and aCL antibodies could be the cause of prolonged aPTT in healthy Bernese Mountain Dogs. The importance of the antiphospholipid antibodies in the dogs remains unknown.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22092614/