Preliminary Studies of Serum Acute-Phase Protein Concentrations in Hematologic and Neoplastic Diseases of the Dog

Abstract

Serum concentrations of acute-phase proteins (APPs): haptoglobin (Hp), ceruloplasmin (Cp), serum amyloid A (SAA), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined in healthy dogs (n = 15) and dogs with different diseases grouped as acute inflammation (I, n = 12), hematologic neoplasias (HT, including leukemia and lymphoma, n = 16), nonhematologic neoplasias (NHT, including epithelial, mesenchymal, and mixed, n = 20), and autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA, n = 8). SAA and CRP were analyzed using commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits, and Hp and Cp were measured using colorimetric methods, all previously validated for use in dogs. Increased concentrations of all APPs were observed in all groups of diseased dogs, but statistical significance only was observed with Hp (I, P < .001; HT, P < .05), Cp (I, P < .05; AIHA, P < .01), and CRP (I, P < .001; HT, P < .001; AIHA, CRP P < .05). High variability in individual APPs within each group of diseases was found with no significant differences between leukemia and lymphoma as well as among different types of neoplasia. The AIHA group had smaller increases in Hp, SAA, and CRP but higher concentrations of Cp. When follow-up of individual cases was possible, a decrease in APPs generally was found in cases with favorable outcome. The results of this study suggest that neoplasia and hematologic diseases such as AIHA should be considered as possible causes of mild increases in APPs in dogs. Measurement of APPs may be helpful to assess clinical evolution and monitor treatment of these processes.

Serum amyloid A and other clinicopathological variables in cats with intermediate- and large-cell lymphoma

“…In a previous study in dogs, in which SAA was analysed in different neoplastic diseases, the serum concentration of the protein was not different between patients with lymphoma and leukaemia. 35 It is therefore plausible that SAA may be correlated with specific locations of the disease associated with different biological behaviour, such as nasal forms of the tumour, but does not give any additional information regarding disease stage. However, the number of patients in our staging group was small, with a low number of patients divided into the different groups; therefore, larger studies are necessary to confirm this finding.…”

Isolation of Oral Bacteria, Measurement of the C‐Reactive Protein, and Blood Clinical Parameters in Dogs with Oral Tumor

“…Cancer and inflammation are associated in a way that some cancers arise at the sites whereas the cancer induces an inflammatory microenvironment. We could support that CRP is a sensitive marker that has been shown to increase in response to malignancies [ 19 , 26 ] such as lymphoma [ 18 , 52 ], multiple myeloma [ 53 ], pancreatic cancer [ 54 ], and SCC [ 55 ]both in humans and dogs. In most studies, CRP levels were found to be highly elevated in patients with cancer and metastasis compared with the healthy control group or benign conditions [ 26 , 27 , 56 ].…”

Cancer Screening Tests for Small Animals

“…However, as a biomarker it is not disease specific. 3,[11][12][13] Coupling biomarkers for rapid cell proliferation and inflammation has a strong relevance to the neoplastic process and malignant transformation. Chronic inflammation has been shown to predispose a patient to the development of neoplasia.…”

“…Haptoglobin levels can be influenced (increased) by corticosteroid administration. 13,19 cCRP is an APP produced in the liver as part of the rapidly reacting first line of APPs induced by interleukin-1-type cytokines. Its serum levels are characterized by a dramatic increase within 4 hours after the inflammatory stimulus and rapid normalization.…”

“…12 Specifically, in lymphoma it has been used as a prognostic factor and as a marker for remission and relapsed disease and correlated with stage and substage of affected patients. 12,13,19 A 2005 study by Tecles and colleagues 13 evaluated serum concentrations of APPs haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, serum amyloid A, and CRP in dogs. The sample cohorts included 15 healthy dogs, 12 with acute inflammation, 16 with hematologic cancer, 20 with nonhematologic cancer, and 8 with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia.…”