Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Serum concentrations of complement C3 and C4 in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy.
- Journal:
- Journal of veterinary internal medicine
- Year:
- 2024
- Authors:
- Kang, Seonggweon et al.
- Affiliation:
- College of Veterinary Medicine · South Korea
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
In a study involving 49 dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (a type of epilepsy with no known cause) and 29 healthy dogs, researchers looked at specific proteins in the blood called complement C3 and C4. They found that dogs with epilepsy had higher levels of these proteins compared to the healthy dogs, suggesting that there may be an issue with the immune system in these dogs. Additionally, dogs that had more frequent seizures (more than three times a month) had even higher levels of C3 and C4. This indicates that measuring these proteins could help veterinarians diagnose epilepsy in dogs, especially those experiencing frequent seizures. Overall, the findings suggest that there is a problem with the immune response in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: High concentrations of complement factors are presented in serum of animal epilepsy models and human patients with epilepsy. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether complement dysregulation occurs in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE). ANIMALS: The study included 49 dogs with IE subgrouped into treatment (n = 19), and nontreatment (n = 30), and 29 healthy dogs. METHODS: In this case-control study, the serum concentrations of the third (C3) and fourth (C4) components of the complement system were measured using a canine-specific ELISA kit. RESULTS: Serum C3 and C4 concentrations were significantly higher in dogs with IE (C3, median; 4.901 [IQR; 3.915-6.673] mg/mL, P < .001; C4, 0.327 [0.134-0.557] mg/mL, P = .03) than in healthy control dogs (C3, 3.550 [3.075-4.191] mg/mL; C4, 0.267 [0.131-0.427] mg/mL). No significant differences were observed in serum C3 and C4 concentrations between dogs in the treatment (C3, median; 4.894 [IQR; 4.192-5.715] mg/mL; C4, 0.427 [0.143-0.586] mg/mL) and nontreatment groups (C3, 5.051 [3.702-7.132] mg/mL; C4, 0.258 [0.130-0.489] mg/mL). Dogs with a seizure frequency >3 times/month had significantly higher serum C3 (6.461 [4.695-8.735] mg/mL; P < .01) and C4 (0.451 [0.163-0.675] mg/mL; P = .01) concentrations than those with a seizure frequency ≤3 times/month (C3, 3.859 [3.464-5.142] mg/mL; C4, 0.161 [0.100-0.325] mg/mL). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Dysregulation of classical complement pathway was identified in IE dogs. Serum C3 and C4 concentrations could be diagnostic biomarkers for IE in dogs with higher seizure frequency.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38329151/