Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Prognostic value of C-reactive protein in dogs with elevated serum pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity concentrations.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 2024
- Authors:
- Oberholtzer, Sydney M et al.
- Affiliation:
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
This study looked at the levels of a protein called C-reactive protein (CRP) in dogs with pancreatitis, which is a condition where the pancreas becomes inflamed. Researchers examined 503 dogs that had high levels of pancreatic lipase, a marker for pancreatitis. They found that dogs with higher CRP levels were much more likely to need hospitalization or to die compared to those with lower CRP levels. Specifically, dogs with CRP levels above 10 mg/L were over five times more likely to face these serious outcomes. This suggests that measuring CRP can help veterinarians predict how sick a dog with pancreatitis might be and whether they need more intensive care.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prognostic value of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) in dogs with pancreatitis. ANIMALS: 503 client-owned animals with pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (PLI) > 600 µg/L. METHODS: Routine submissions to the Texas A&M Gastrointestinal Laboratory were monitored for canine samples with PLI > 600 µg/L. Clinics were emailed 2 weeks after PLI measurement and asked the following questions: (1) was the dog hospitalized, and (2) is the patient alive? If a response was received, serum CRP concentration was measured using leftover serum. RESULTS: Paired PLI and CRP results were available for 503 dogs. Median PLI was 984 µg/L (range, 603 to 2,001 µg/L); median CRP was 9.9 mg/L (range, 9.9 to 395.3 mg/L; ref: < 10 mg/L). Inpatient care was provided to 136 dogs (27.0%); 49 dogs (9.7%) died or were euthanized. Median PLI values for dogs that died versus survived were similar. Median CRP was higher in hospitalized dogs (36.1 vs 9.9 mg/L; P < .0001) and those that died (37.2 vs 9.9 mg/L; P < .0001). Compared to dogs with CRP < 10 mg/L, those with CRP > 10 mg/L were 5.3 times more likely to die (CI, 2.7 to 10.2) and 5.7 times (CI, 3.7 to 8.7) more likely to be hospitalized. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In dogs with PLI > 600 µg/L, CRP > 10 mg/L was associated with increased risk of hospitalization or death. This biomarker may provide prognostic information in dogs with evidence of pancreatitis and guide decisions regarding hospitalization or referral.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38041941/