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The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Abstract

The association between severity of heart disease and serum N-terminal prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was determined in dogs presented with respiratory distress. Four groups of dogs were divided into healthy control (n=11), heart failure (n=58), heart disease without heart failure (n=17) and respiratory disease (n=20). Serum NT-proBNP concentrations were measured with an ELISA designed for using in dogs. Dirofilaria antigen tests were detected in dogs with heart disease or heart failure. Serum NT-proBNP concentrations of dogs with heart failure (2,977±184 pmol/l) were significantly higher than dogs with heart disease (611±46 pmol/l), respiratory disease (583±52 pmol/l) or physically healthy (426±32 pmol/l). In dogs with heart failure, the serum NT-proBNP concentrations from the female dogs (3,291±266 pmol/l) were slightly higher than the male dogs (2,770±247 pmol/l), but did not reach the statistical significant. Dirofilaria infections were also found in dogs with heart disease (n=9) and dogs with heart failure (n=7). Interestingly, NT-proBNP concentration from Dirofilaria infected dogs with heart disease (533±53 pmol/l) was significantly lower than Dirofilaria infected dogs with heart failure (2,576±504 pmol/l). Different cut-off values (at 300, 600 and 900 pmol/l) were used to discriminate the dogs with heart failure from other groups, high cut off values slightly reduced percent sensitivity (98.3%, 93.1% and 93.1%, respectively) while significantly improved percent specificity (7.7%, 59.0% and 92.3%, respectively). In conclusion, the serum NT-proBNP levels were comparable in dogs with and without heart diseases except including the heart failure dogs. Furthermore, gender and Dirofilaria infection did not influence in the serum NT-proBNP concentration. The use of higher cut-off values for serum NT-proBNP significantly improves specificity of the test for the diagnosis of congestive heart failure in dogs with respiratory distress.

Publisher

Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University

First Page

289

Last Page

295

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