Neutrophilia is associated with a poorer clinical outcome in dogs with chronic hepatitis

Predictive Factors for Two-Year Survival in Dogs with Hepatobiliary Diseases: Importance of Clinical and Laboratory Monitoring

Long-term outcomes and survival predictors for different clinicopathologies (idiopathic chronic hepatitis, liver fibrosis, vacuolar hepatopathy) in dogs with hepatobiliary diseases are poorly described. In this study, ninety dogs were followed up for up to five years to investigate clinical factors that predict two-year survival in canine patients after liver biopsy. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed based on clinical and laboratory data to determine the association between clinical and laboratory data and mortality rates. Overall, the one-, two-, and five-year mortality rates were 28.9%, 45.6%, and 78.9%, respectively. Univariate analysis indicated that male gender, ascites, elevated serum gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), hypercholesterolemia, hypoalbuminemia, prolonged activated partial thromboplastin clotting time (aPTT), and prolonged thrombin clotting time (TT) were associated with an increased two-year mortality rate. Results from multivariate analysis demonstrated a significant association between male gender (p = 0.022), elevated serum GGT (p < 0.001), hypoalbuminemia (p < 0.001), and prolonged aPTT (p < 0.001) and an increased two-year mortality rate, regardless of the specific type of liver pathology. Elevated GGT was associated with the highest risk for increased two-year mortality (95% CI: hazard ratio 6.02-41.21). In conclusion, various clinical factors in dogs with liver diseases are useful for prognosis prediction.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and C-reactive protein and plasma von Willebrand concentrations in 23 dogs with chronic hepatopathies

BACKGROUND

Serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)VD) and C-reactive protein (CRP) and von Willebrand's factor (vWF) concentration correlate with histopathologic disease grade and stage in chronic inflammatory and fibrotic hepatopathies (CH) in humans.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate serum 25(OH)VD and serum CRP concentrations and plasma vWF concentration and determine if they correlate with histopathologic and biochemical variables in dog with CH.

ANIMALS

Twenty-three client-owned dogs with a histopathologic diagnosis of CH were prospectively enrolled.

METHODS

Blood samples were collected before liver biopsy. Correlations between biomarkers and clinical pathological and histopathologic variables were evaluated using Pearson's or Spearman's test.

RESULTS

Serum 25(OH)VD concentration (median, 213 nmol/L; range, 42-527 nmol/L) was negatively correlated with serum aspartate aminotransferase activity (AST; rho = -0.59, P < .01), polymorphonuclear neutrophil count (PMN; r = -0.46, P < .05), and positively correlated with serum albumin concentration (r = 0.69, P < .001). Serum CRP concentration (median, 7.4 μg/L; range, 1-44.9 μg/L) was positively correlated with overall histopathologic necroinflammatory activity (r = 0.78, P < .001) and fibrosis score (rho = 0.49, P < .05). Plasma vWF concentration (median, 73.3%; range, 15-141%) was positively correlated with fibrosis score (r = 0.53, P < .05) and prothrombin time (rho = 0.67, P < .01), and negatively correlated with serum albumin concentration (r = -0.73, P < .001).

CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE

In dogs with CH, serum 25(OH)VD concentration was negatively correlated with disease activity, whereas serum CRP concentration and plasma vWF concentration were positively correlated with histopathologic grade and stage. Our results provide preliminary evidence that these biomarkers may be useful to assess grade and stage of CH in dogs in the absence of liver biopsy.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of peripheral blood leucocyte ratios in sick cats

The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic and prognostic utility of feline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR) and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratios (LMR) in a variety of underlying diseases. Five-year medical records from cats presenting to the internal medicine unit of a veterinary teaching hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Cats were considered for inclusion based on complete medical records. ADVIA 120 was used for the complete blood counts; the NLR and LMR were calculated by dividing the absolute numbers of the respective leucocytes. Two hundred and nineteen sick and 20 healthy cats were included in the study. The median NLR and LMR were significantly (P < 0.05) elevated and decreased, respectively, in cats with infectious, neoplastic and chronic kidney diseases compared to controls. Additionally, cats with neoplasia had significantly higher median NLR compared to cats with urinary tract and gastrointestinal diseases. Non-survivors had significantly higher NLR and lower LMR compared to survivors. Both ratios had suboptimal prognostic performance for the outcome of sick cats (NLR sensitivity: 37.9%, specificity: 86.4%; LMR sensitivity: 69.0%, specificity: 61.0%). Many different disease categories were associated with increased NLR and decreased LMR compared to controls, but the overall prognostic performance of the two leucocyte ratios was suboptimal.