Plasma procalcitonin concentrations are increased in dogs with sepsis

Abstract

Sepsis, the life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, is difficult to identify and to prognosticate for. In people with sepsis, procalcitonin (PCT) measurement aids diagnosis, enables therapeutic monitoring and improves prognostic accuracy. This study used a commercial canine PCT assay to measure plasma PCT concentrations in dogs with gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV) syndrome and in dogs with sepsis. It was hypothesised that dogs with GDV syndrome and with sepsis have greater plasma PCT concentrations than healthy dogs and that dogs with sepsis have greater PCT concentrations than dogs with GDV syndrome. Before analysing canine plasma samples, the ability of the assay to identify canine PCT, in addition to assay imprecision and the lower limit of detection were established. The assay had low imprecision with coefficients of variation ≤4.5 per cent. The lower limit of detection was 3.4 pg/ml. Plasma PCT concentrations were measured in 20 dogs with sepsis, in 32 dogs with GDV syndrome and in 52 healthy dogs. Median (IQR) PCT concentration in dogs with sepsis 78.7 pg/ml (39.1–164.7) was significantly greater than in healthy dogs 49.8 pg/ml (36.2–63.7) (P=0.019), but there were no significant differences between PCT concentrations in dogs with GDV syndrome and controls (P=0.072) or between dogs with sepsis and GDV syndrome (P=1.000). Dogs with sepsis have significantly increased plasma PCT concentrations compared with healthy dogs, although considerable overlap between these populations was identified. Future investigations should confirm this finding in other populations and evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of PCT in dogs with sepsis.

Serum procalcitonin concentrations in dogs with induced endotoxemia

“…Although previous studies have documented increased PCT in dogs with clinical evidence of naturally occurring sepsis, this study evaluated serial concentrations of PCT in dogs with experimentally induced endotoxemia. The temporal course of induction and subsequent decline of PCT after a single dose of LPS documented in the current study are similar to those described in humans and horses.…”

“…Because the expression of PCT in dogs appears to be similar to that of humans, we believe that it will perform similarly as a diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker in dogs. A reference range for procalcitonin has been established in a group of healthy control dogs . The reference interval (RI) was calculated to be 5.8‐91.1 pg/mL, however the 90% confidence interval for the upper bound was greater than 0.2 times the width of the RI suggesting uncertainty with the upper limit of the RI .…”

“…The modification was the use of a 1:1 dilution of serum with the supplied dilution buffer, rather than a 1:5 dilution. Previous investigators determined that the recommended dilution of 1:5 resulted in absorbance values below the assay's limit of detection for some samples …”

“…This is in part caused by a previous lack of valid assays for the detection of canine PCT . However, recently developed assays validated for the detection of canine PCT allow for further investigation of this potential biomarker in canine sepsis . Dogs with a clinical suspicion of sepsis have significantly higher serum PCT concentrations than do healthy controls .…”

“…However, recently developed assays validated for the detection of canine PCT allow for further investigation of this potential biomarker in canine sepsis . Dogs with a clinical suspicion of sepsis have significantly higher serum PCT concentrations than do healthy controls . Furthermore, higher PCT concentrations are associated with the development of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and septic shock in dogs .…”