Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Comparison of serum amyloid A and C-reactive protein as diagnostic markers of systemic inflammation in dogs.
- Journal:
- The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne
- Year:
- 2014
- Authors:
- Christensen, Michelle B et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Clinical and Animal Sciences · Netherlands
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
In a study involving 500 dogs, researchers compared two blood tests, serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP), to see which one is better at detecting systemic inflammation, which is a sign of illness. They found that both tests showed higher levels in dogs with inflammation compared to those without, indicating that both can be useful for diagnosis. However, SAA had a broader range of results and performed better overall than CRP. This means that while both tests are helpful, SAA might be the more reliable option for identifying inflammation in dogs.
Abstract
The diagnostic performance of canine serum amyloid A (SAA) was compared with that of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the detection of systemic inflammation in dogs. Sera from 500 dogs were retrospectively included in the study. C-reactive protein and SAA were measured using validated automated assays. The overlap performance, clinical decision limits, overall diagnostic performance, correlations, and agreement in the clinical classification between these 2 diagnostic markers were compared. Significantly higher concentrations of both proteins were detected in dogs with systemic inflammation (SAA range: 48.75 to > 2700 mg/L; CRP range: 0.4 to 907.4 mg/L) compared to dogs without systemic inflammation (SAA range: 1.06 to 56.4 mg/L; CRP range: 0.07 to 24.7 mg/L). Both proteins were shown to be sensitive and specific markers of systemic inflammation in dogs. Significant correlations and excellent diagnostic agreement were observed between the 2 markers. However, SAA showed a wider range of concentrations and a significantly superior overall diagnostic performance compared with CRP.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24489396/