Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Urine cortisol-creatinine ratio helps diagnose Addison's disease
By Del Baldo, Francesca et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2022·Department of Veterinary Medical Science, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Urinary cortisol-creatinine ratio in dogs with hypoadrenocorticism.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with low cortisol levels, known as hypoadrenocorticism (HA), were tested using a urine sample to measure the urinary cortisol-creatinine ratio (UCCR). The results showed that dogs with HA had significantly lower UCCR values compared to healthy dogs and those with similar symptoms. This test proved to be very effective, with a 100% sensitivity and 97.3% specificity for diagnosing HA, meaning it can accurately identify dogs with this condition. The UCCR test is beneficial because it only requires one urine sample, making it easier for both vets and pet owners.
People also search for: dog low cortisol symptoms · hypoadrenocorticism diagnosis in dogs · urine test for dog adrenal disease
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Basal serum cortisol (BSC) ≥2 μg/dL (>55 nmol/L) has high sensitivity but low specificity for hypoadrenocorticism (HA). OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the urinary corticoid:creatinine ratio (UCCR) can be used to differentiate dogs with HA from healthy dogs and those with diseases mimicking HA (DMHA). ANIMALS: Nineteen healthy dogs, 18 dogs with DMHA, and 10 dogs with HA. METHODS: Retrospective study. The UCCR was determined on urine samples from healthy dogs, dogs with DMHA, and dogs with HA. The diagnostic performance of the UCCR was assessed based on receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves, calculating the area under the ROC curve. RESULTS: The UCCR was significantly lower in dogs with HA (0.65 × 10; range, 0.33-1.22 × 10) as compared to healthy dogs (3.38 × 10; range, 1.11-17.32 × 10) and those with DMHA (10.28 × 10; range, 2.46-78.65 × 10) (P < .0001). There was no overlap between dogs with HA and dogs with DMHA. In contrast, 1 healthy dog had a UCCR value in the range of dogs with HA. The area under the ROC curve was 0.99. A UCCR cut-off value of <1.4 yielded 100% sensitivity and 97.3% specificity in diagnosing HA. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The UCCR seems to be a valuable and reliable screening test for HA in dogs. The greatest advantage of this test is the need for only a single urine sample.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35150029/