Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Using total protein to detect cancerous fluid buildup in dogs
By Parsley, Ashley L et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2022·Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Total protein concentration as a predictor of neoplastic peritoneal and pleural effusions of dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old Labrador was brought in with fluid buildup in the abdomen and chest, which can be a sign of serious issues like cancer. Tests showed that the total protein levels in the fluid were higher in cases where cancer was present compared to non-cancerous conditions. Additionally, if the ratio of albumin to total protein was low, it indicated a higher chance of cancer being the cause. While the total protein levels can help, they aren't always definitive, so further tests are often needed to confirm a diagnosis.
People also search for: dog fluid in abdomen causes · Labrador cancer symptoms · dog pleural effusion treatment
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of neoplastic cavitary effusions requires the identification of neoplastic cells in effusions, yet the cytologic appearance of neoplastic effusions can be highly variable due to the varied mechanisms of formation. Additional parameters might aid in the interpretation of equivocal cytologic results. OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to evaluate whether total protein concentrations can be used to support the diagnosis of neoplasia in the peritoneal and pleural effusions of dogs with lower cellularities (≤5000 nucleated cells/μL). METHODS: Pleural and peritoneal fluid analyses from dogs presented to the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital between 2014 and 2019 were evaluated retrospectively. Effusions were categorized as neoplastic or non-neoplastic based on histology or cytology. Non-neoplastic effusions were subcategorized according to mechanism: decreased oncotic pressure, increased hydrostatic pressure, increased vascular permeability, leakage of urine, and leakage of lymph. The TP and blood albumin to fluid TP ratio (Alb:TP) were compared among groups. RESULTS: Twenty-seven neoplastic and 65 non-neoplastic cases were evaluated. TP was higher in the neoplastic group (P = .001) than in the non-neoplastic group. Neoplastic effusions had a lower Alb:TPthan non-neoplastic (P = .001), and effusions with Alb:TPof ≤0.6 were 5.6 times more likely to be neoplastic (95% CI 1.69-17.36; P = .003). CONCLUSIONS: Fluid TP concentrations were significantly greater in neoplastic than non-neoplastic effusions; however, given the considerable overlap between groups, the diagnostic utility of this difference is low. A neoplastic etiology might be more likely in cases with an Alb:TP≤0.6.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35538615/