Proteinuria and Electrophoretic Pattern in Dogs with Comorbidities Associated with Chronic Kidney Disease

Abstract

In animals with chronic pathologies, the detection of proteinuria via the proteinuria: creatininuria ratio (UPC) and urinary protein electrophoresis allows for the early diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The objective of this work was to identify and determine the magnitude of proteinuria and its electrophoretic pattern characterization in dogs with chronic diseases pathophysiologically related to proteinuria. With the studied patients, five groups were formed. The control group (CG) contained non-proteinuric cases. The cases with proteinuria were classified into four groups according to the concurrent disease: chronic inflammatory diseases (IG), neoplasms (NG), heart diseases (HG), and endocrine diseases (EG). For the statistical analysis, descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were used. Data from 264 dogs were obtained; in the disease groups, proteinuria was observed in more than 30% as the only finding of kidney disease, evidencing a greater risk factor for proteinuria in the HG group (OR 4.047, CI 1.894–8.644, p < 0.0001). In the HG, NG, and EG groups, a higher frequency of glomerular pattern (GEP) related to glomerular hypertension was observed; in the IG, a higher frequency of mixed pattern (MEP) was observed. These findings are secondary to the hyperfiltration process that affects the glomerulus and the renal tubule.

Urinary Electrophoretograms Performed by Capillary Electrophoresis: Comparison between Dogs and Cats

“…In addition, alterations at the glomerular level can develop secondary to acquired systemic processes such as neoplasms, infectious diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases, heart disease, or secondary to endocrine disorders [22]. This type of glomerular proteinuria can be classified according to the molecular weight of the protein bands observed in the gels, so protein bands ≥ 40 kDa could be considered a glomerular electrophoretic pattern [23].…”

“…Finally, mixed proteinuria occurs when glomerular and tubular lesions develop simultaneously, showing low-, medium-, or high-molecular-weight proteins in the urine [19,20]. This type of tubular proteinuria can be classified according to the molecular weight of the protein bands, so low-, medium-, or high-molecular-weight bands could be considered mixed electrophoretic patterns [23].…”