Urinary peptidome analyses for the diagnosis of chronic kidney disease in dogs.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is clinically important in canine medicine. Current diagnostic tools lack sensitivity for detection of subclinical CKD. The aim of the present study was to evaluate urinary peptidome analysis for diagnosis of CKD in dogs. Capillary electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry analysis demonstrated presence of approximately 5400 peptides in dog urine. Comparison of urinary peptide abundance of dogs with and without CKD led to the identification of 133 differentially excreted peptides (adjusted P for each peptide <0.05). Sequence information was obtained for 35 of these peptides. This 35 peptide subset and the total group of 133 peptides were used to construct two predictive models of CKD which were subsequently validated by researchers masked to results in an independent cohort of 20 dogs. Both models diagnosed CKD with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.88 (95% confidence intervals [CI], 0.72-1.0). Most differentially excreted peptides represented fragments of collagen I, indicating possible association with fibrotic processes in CKD (similar to the equivalent human urinary peptide CKD model, CKD273). This first study of the urinary peptidome in dogs identified peptides that were associated with presence of CKD. Future studies are needed to validate the utility of this model for diagnosis and prediction of progression of canine CKD in a clinical setting.

Cardiac Troponin I and Amino-Terminal Pro B-Type Natriuretic Peptide in Dogs With Stable Chronic Kidney Disease.

BACKGROUND: Increased concentrations of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in dogs with azotemia have been documented. Knowledge of mechanisms behind increased concentrations of cardiac biomarkers in dogs with azotemia is warranted for correct interpretation of test results. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the article was to investigate possible associations between plasma concentrations of cTnI and NT-proBNP, respectively, and patient characteristics, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), a plasma volume factor (PVF) derived from scintigraphic examination (PVf), systolic blood pressure (SBP), selected hematologic and biochemical variables, and echocardiographic measurements in dogs with stable chronic kidney disease (CKD) and in healthy dogs. ANIMALS: Fifty student-, staff-, and client-owned dogs were included. Twenty-three of the dogs were healthy and 27 were diagnosed with CKD. METHODS: In this cross-sectional observational study, dogs with a previous diagnosis of CKD and healthy control dogs were included. At inclusion, all dogs were characterized by physical examination, repeated blood pressure measurements, complete urinalysis, hematology and biochemistry panel, echocardiography, abdominal ultrasound examination of the entire urinary tract, and scintigraphic examination for measurement of GFR. RESULTS: Plasma volume factor and PCV were independently associated with NT-proBNP (Radj2 = 0.42; P < .0001). Age, body weight (BW), and SBP were independently associated with cTnI (Radj2 = 0.50; P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Neither NT-proBNP nor cTnI concentrations were independently associated with measured GFR. Thus, findings were not suggestive of passive accumulation of either marker, suggesting that increased circulating concentrations of cTnI and NT-proBNP can be interpreted similarly in dogs with stable CKD as in dogs without CKD.

Incidence of and mortality from kidney disease in over 600,000 insured Swedish dogs.

Kidney disease is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in dogs. Knowledge about the epidemiology of kidney disease in the dog population is valuable and large-scale epidemiological studies are needed. The aim of the present study was to use insurance data to estimate kidney-related morbidity and mortality in the Swedish dog population. Insurance company data from insured dogs during the years 1995-2006 were studied retrospectively. Incidence and mortality were calculated for the whole group of dogs as well as divided by sex and breed. The total number of veterinary care insured dogs was 665,245. The total incidence of kidney disease in this group of dogs was 15.8 (15.3-16.2) cases/10,000 dog-years at risk. The number of dogs in the life insurance was 548,346 and in this group the total kidney-related mortality was 9.7 (9.3-10.2) deaths/10,000 dog-years at risk. The three breeds with the highest incidence of kidney disease were the Bernese mountain dog, miniature schnauzer and boxer. The three breeds with the highest mortality caused by kidney disease were the Bernese mountain dog, Shetland sheepdog and flat-coated retriever. In conclusion, the epidemiological information provided in this study concerning kidney disease in dogs can provide valuable information for future research.

Myocardial cell damage in 24 dogs bitten by the common European viper (Vipera berus).

This study investigated whether myocardial damage, as reflected by increased serum concentrations of cardiac-specific troponin I (cTnI), develops in dogs as a result of a bite from a common European viper (Vipera berus), and whether this damage occurs in the absence of clinically relevant ECG abnormalities. Twenty-four dogs presented following a snake bite were tested. On admission, and after 12, 24 and 36 hours, an ECG was recorded and serum was collected for analysis of cTnI from all the dogs. Thirteen dogs (54 per cent) had an undetectable serum cTnI concentration (<0.2 microg/l) and no abnormalities on ECG, five dogs (21 per cent) had increased serum concentrations of cTnI and no ECG abnormalities, six dogs (12.5 per cent) had increased cTnI concentrations and ECG abnormalities, and six dogs (12.5 per cent) had ECG abnormalities and undetectable cTnI concentrations. Only three dogs (12.5 per cent) had serum cTnI concentrations exceeding 1.0 microg/l at any time during the study. Evidence of myocardial cell damage was found in eight (32 per cent) of the 24 dogs. Cardiac arrhythmia was detected in three of these eight dogs.