The Utility of Acute‐Phase Proteins in the Assessment of Treatment Response in Dogs With Bacterial Pneumonia

Abstract

BackgroundAcute‐phase proteins (APPs) are sensitive markers of inflammation, and serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) recently has been shown to be a useful diagnostic marker in dogs with bacterial pneumonia (BP). In humans with community‐acquired pneumonia, APPs also have great utility as follow‐up markers aiding in the assessment of treatment response.ObjectivesThe aim of our study was to investigate the applicability of APPs as markers of treatment response in dogs with BP.AnimalsNineteen dogs diagnosed with BP and 64 healthy dogs.MethodsThe study was conducted as a prospective longitudinal observational study. Serum CRP, serum amyloid A (SAA), and haptoglobin concentrations were followed during a natural course of BP. Normalization of serum CRP was used to guide the duration of antibiotic treatment (treatment was stopped 5–7 days after CRP normalized) in 8 of 17 dogs surviving to discharge; 9 of 17 dogs were treated according to conventional recommendations.ResultsAll measured APPs initially were significantly increased, but the magnitude of increase was not correlated to disease severity. C‐reactive protein and SAA concentrations decreased rapidly after initiation of antimicrobial treatment. When normalization of serum CRP was used to guide the duration of antibiotic treatment, treatment duration was significantly (P = .015) decreased without increasing the number of relapses.Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceSerum CRP and SAA reflected the recovery process well and therefore may be used as markers of treatment response. According to the results, the normalization of serum CRP may be used to guide the duration of antibiotic treatment in dogs with BP.

C‐reactive protein in dogs with suspected bacterial diskospondylitis: 16 cases (2010–2019)

“…For this reason, CRP may provide a vital future monitoring tool for these cases, similar to a prospective study using CRP to guide treatment cessation in bronchopneumonia cases in dogs. 18 Two of the present cases had a normal CRP. In case 2 antibiotics had been started before CRP measurement, potentially explaining the normal result.…”

“…16 It has been used as a monitoring tool when using long-term courses of immunosuppressive medication 17 or potentially as a marker for predicting disease relapse. 18 Only mild elevations of serum CRP have been reported in intervertebral disc disease. 12 19 The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether CRP is elevated in canine diskospondylitis by retrospectively reviewing cases where CRP had been measured in affected dogs, with the hypothesis that CRP is elevated in cases of diskospondylitis.…”

Bacterial Pneumonia in Dogs and Cats

“…Being nonspecific, these biomarkers are not clinically useful for diagnosis but might be helpful in determining treatment response, facilitating better antimicrobial stewardship by suggesting resolution of disease more rapidly than thoracic radiographs. 31 Further studies are required to establish their utility in management of pneumonia.…”

A new automated turbidimetric immunoassay for the measurement of canine C‐reactive protein

“…1 Canine CRP (cCRP) concentration increases in a variety of common infectious and inflammatory diseases. [1][2][3] Specifically, it has been reported to be a diagnostic test in dogs with steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis (SRMA) 1,4 , for early detection of postsurgical complications 5 , and for monitoring disease progression and treatment efficiency in diseases such as pyometra 5,6 , bacterial pneumonia 7 , and the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). 8 Interestingly, cCRP measurements can also be used to screen for occult disease in clinically healthy appearing dogs.…”