Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) is a major acute-phase protein in dogs. Serum concentrations are low in healthy animals, but increase rapidly after inflammatory stimuli.Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate CRP concentrations in various respiratory diseases of dogs and to determine if CRP can be used as a biomarker in the diagnosis of bacterial respiratory diseases.Animals: A total of 106 privately owned dogs with respiratory diseases ( Methods: The study was conducted as a prospective cross-sectional observational study. CRP was measured in serum samples. Diagnosis was confirmed by clinical and laboratory findings, diagnostic imaging, and selected diagnostic methods such as cytological and microbiological analysis of respiratory samples, echocardiography, and histopathology.Results: Dogs with BP had significantly higher CRP concentrations (median, 121 mg/L; interquartile range, 68-178 mg/L) than dogs with BTB (23, 15-38, P = .0003), CB (13, 8-14, P < .0001), EBP (5, 5-15, P < .0001), CIPF (17, 10-20, P < .0001), or CPE (19, 13-32, P < .0001) and healthy controls (14,(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), P < .0001). Dogs with BTB had significantly higher CRP concentrations than dogs with CB (P = .001) or EBP (P < .0001) and healthy controls (P = .029).Conclusion and Clinical Importance: These results indicate that CRP has potential for use as an additional biomarker, especially in the diagnostics of BP.

BackgroundGastroesophageal reflux and microaspiration (MA) of gastric juice are associated with various human respiratory diseases but not in dogs.ObjectiveTo detect the presence of bile acids in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of dogs with various respiratory diseases.AnimalsTwenty‐seven West Highland White Terriers (WHWTs) with canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF), 11 dogs with bacterial pneumonia (BP), 13 with chronic bronchitis (CB), 9 with eosinophilic bronchopneumopathy (EBP), 19 with laryngeal dysfunction (LD), 8 Irish Wolfhounds (IWHs) with previous BPs, 13 healthy WHWTs, all privately owned dogs, and 6 healthy research colony BeaglesMethodsProspective cross‐sectional observational study with convenience sampling of dogs. Bile acids were measured by mass spectrometry in BALF samples. Total bile acid (TBA) concentration was calculated as a sum of 17 different bile acids.ResultsConcentrations of TBA were above the limit of quantification in 78% of CIPF, 45% of BP, 62% of CB, 44% of EBP, 68% of LD, and 13% of IWH dogs. In healthy dogs, bile acids were detected less commonly in Beagles (0/6) than in healthy WHWTs (10/13). Concentrations of TBA were significantly higher in CIPF (median 0.013 μM, range not quantifiable [n.q.]‐0.14 μM, P < .001), healthy WHWTs (0.0052 μM, n.q.‐1.2 μM, P = .003), LD (0.010 μM, n.q.‐2.3 μM, P = .015), and CB (0.0078 μM, n.q.‐0.073 μM, P = .018) groups compared to Beagles (0 μM, n.q.).Conclusion and Clinical ImportanceThese results suggest that MA occurs in various respiratory diseases of dogs and also in healthy WHWTs.

BackgroundIdiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an incurable interstitial lung disease occurring mainly in West Highland White Terriers (WHWTs). The effects of IPF on survival and on exercise tolerance in WHWTs are unknown.ObjectivesTo evaluate survival, prognostic factors, and exercise tolerance in WHWTs with IPF.AnimalsPrivately owned WHWTs; 15 with IPF and 11 healthy controls.MethodsProspective case‐control study conducted in 2007–2012. For survival, descriptive statistics and Kaplan–Meier (KM) survival curves with Cox proportional hazard ratios were performed. For the prognostic factor study, KM curves, Cox regression analysis, and logistic regression models were used. The 6‐minute walk test (6MWT) was used for measurement of exercise tolerance.ResultsThe median IPF‐specific survival of deceased WHWTs (7/15) with IPF was 32 (range 2–51) months from onset of clinical signs. The risk of death from birth in WHWTs with IPF in age‐adjusted Cox model was significantly higher (hazard ratio 4.6; 95% confidence interval 1.05–19.74, P = .04) than in control WHWTs. No significant prognostic factors were identified. In 6MWT, WHWTs with IPF walked a shorter distance, median 398 m (range 273–519 m), than healthy controls, median 492 m (420–568 m), P = .05, and the partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood in diseased dogs had a moderate positive correlation with walking distance (Kendall′s tau‐b = 0.69, P = .06).Conclusion and Clinical Importance IPF had a negative impact on life expectancy, but individual survival varied considerably. 6MWT proved to be a well‐tolerated, noninvasive test to evaluate exercise tolerance.

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BackgroundThe pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in dogs is poorly understood. In human, transforming growth factor β1 (TGF‐β1) is considered central in the pathogenesis.ObjectivesTo investigate TGF‐β1 pathway in IPF.AnimalsLung tissues from 12 affected and 11 control dogs. Serum from 16 affected West Highland white Terriers (WHWTs) and healthy dogs from predisposed (13 WHWTs, 12 Scottish Terriers and 13 Bichons Frise) and nonpredisposed breeds (10 Whippets, 10 Belgian shepherds, 8 Labradors).MethodsIn this prospective study, immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate expression and localization of TGF‐β1 protein and proteins involved in TGF‐β1 signaling (TGF‐β receptor type I and phospho‐Smad2/3). Pulmonary expression of TGF‐β1 and molecules involved in its storage (latent TGF‐β binding proteins [LTBP] 1, 2, and 4), activation (ανβ6 and ανβ8 integrins, thrombospondin‐1) and signal inhibition (Smad 7) was analyzed by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. Circulating TGF‐β1 concentration was measured by ELISA.ResultsIn IPF, high level of TGF‐β1 protein was found in areas of fibrosis, epithelial cells had strong expression of TGF‐β receptor type 1 and phospho‐Smad2/3, gene expression was decreased for LTBP 4 (P = .009) and β8 integrin (P < .001) and increased for thrombospondin‐1 (P = .016); no difference was seen for Smad7, LTBP1 and 2. Serum TGF‐β1 concentration was higher in predisposed compared with nonpredisposed breeds (P < .0001).Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceThis study identified an enhanced TGF‐β1 signaling activity in IPF. TGF‐β1 storage and activation proteins with altered expression represent potential therapeutic targets. Higher circulating TGF‐β1 concentration in predisposed breeds might partly explain their susceptibility for IPF.

The West Highland white terrier (WHWT) is particularly prone to canine idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (CIPF). We hypothesized that higher circulating concentrations of chemokines CXCL8, CCL2, serotonin (5-HT), or vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) could serve as predisposing factors for CIPF development in the WHWT breed. Serum samples from 103 healthy dogs of seven different breeds variably predisposed to CIPF were collected. Serum CXCL8 concentrations were higher in healthy WHWT compared with each of the other groups of healthy dogs. Serum CCL2 concentrations were higher in healthy WHWT and Maltese compared with King Charles spaniels and Malinois Belgian shepherds. No relevant inter-breed differences were observed for serum 5-HT concentrations regarding CIPF predisposition. VEGF values from 89.3% of samples tested were below the kit detection limit. In conclusion, high CXCL8 blood concentrations and possibly CCL2 concentrations might be related to the breed predisposition of the WHWT for CIPF and warrants further investigations.

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