Laboratory Tests for Diagnosis of Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Diseases

Abstract

The panel of laboratory tests available for diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases in dogs and cats is wide, and, recently, several new tests have been developed. This article will focus on advances in laboratory tests that are available for the general practitioner for diagnosis of GI diseases. Laboratory tests for diagnosis of gastric and intestinal infectious diseases include fecal parasite screening tests, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for parvoviral enteritis, and some specific bacterial tests like fluorescent in situ hybridization for identification of specific bacteria attached to the intestinal epithelial cells. Serum concentrations of folate and cobalamin are markers of intestinal absorption, but are also changed in exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Hypocobalaminemia is common in GI and pancreatic disease. Decreased serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity is a very sensitive and specific test for the diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in dogs and cats. Serum pancreatic lipase is currently the most sensitive and specific test to identify pancreatic cell damage and acute pancreatitis. However, serum canine pancreas-specific lipase is less sensitive in canine chronic pancreatitis. Increased serum trypsin-like immunoreactivity is also specific for pancreatic damage but is less sensitive. It is very likely that further studies will help to better specify the role of these new tests in the diagnosis of canine and feline pancreatic diseases.

Effect of Enterococcus faecium SF68 on serum cobalamin and folate concentrations in healthy dogs

“…A reduction on serum cobalamin concentration could be expected in cases of gut dysbiosis because certain bacteria consume cobalamin from the diet (Dossin , LeBlanc et al . , Ruaux ).…”

“…More invasive methods, such as taking intestinal biopsy samples for cytological or histological examination, could not be carried out for practical and ethical reasons. All dogs were of non-hypocobalaminaemic breeds with a similar age range (2 to 5 years) to avoid any potential variation of serum cobalamin related to the breed or age of dogs (Dossin 2011, Kook et al 2012, Dandrieux et al 2013. Sample size was estimated from a previous study using 10 dogs which received the probiotic according to the same protocol as we followed.…”

“…Variations in the serum concentrations of these vitamins can be induced by several conditions apart from dietary deficiencies, including pancreatic intrinsic factor deficiency, which can reduce serum cobalamin concentration, and both cobalamin and folate absorption may be impaired by destruction of their receptors in the ileum or jejunum, respectively (Steiner ). Gut microbiota can also influence the available amount of these vitamins because they can synthesise folate and consume cobalamin (Dossin , LeBlanc et al . , Ruaux , Steiner ).…”

“…Variations in the serum concentrations of these vitamins can be induced by several conditions apart from dietary deficiencies, including pancreatic intrinsic factor deficiency, which can reduce serum cobalamin concentration, and both cobalamin and folate absorption may be impaired by destruction of their receptors in the ileum or jejunum, respectively (Steiner 2014). Gut microbiota can also influence the available amount of these vitamins because they can synthesise folate and consume cobalamin (Dossin 2011, LeBlanc et al 2011, Ruaux 2013, Steiner 2014. Although several studies have reported variations in some biochemical parameters according to the probiotic species and strain (Baillon et al 2004, Strompfova et al 2014, only one study (Sauter et al 2006) determined serum cobalamin and folate concentrations when a probiotic cocktail of three different Lactobacillus species strains was administered for 4 weeks to dogs with food-responsive diarrhoea.…”

Bacterial overgrowth can be detected by breath hydrogen measurement before clinical manifestations in suckling lambs

“…Prediction of diarrhoeic lambs would be very important before the occurrence of symptoms. Of note, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) can be diagnosed directly with quantitative bacterial culture (Rutgers et al 1995) or indirectly by detecting subnormal serum cobalamin and supranormal folate concentrations (Suchodolski and Steiner 2003;Dossin 2011). These tests are commonly used in canine and feline practice, but not in small ruminants.…”