Association of Paraoxonase-1 and NT-proBNP with Clinical, Clinico-Pathologic and Echocardiographic Variables in Dogs with Mitral Valve Disease

Exploring the Relationship between Canine Paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) Serum Activity and Liver Disease Classified by Clinico-Pathological Evaluation

Paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), a liver-synthesized enzyme, acts as a negative acute-phase reactant during systemic inflammation in dogs. Given the hepatic synthesis of this enzyme, the presence of liver diseases may influence PON-1, thus affecting its reliability as a biomarker for inflammatory/oxidative systemic diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate PON-1 activity variations among dogs suspected of liver injury or failure, evaluating the influence of hepatic diseases on PON-1 activity. A total of one-hundred-sixty dogs were retrospectively enrolled and categorized into three groups based on clinical presentation and laboratory results: control (C = 20), suspected liver injury (INJ = 114), and suspected liver failure (FAIL = 26). The INJ group was further divided into subgroups based on the severity of the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) increase. Both the INJ and FAIL groups were further divided based on serum macroscopic appearance. The PON-1 activity was quantified using a paraoxon-based method, which is already validated in dogs. No significant difference in PON-1 activity was observed between the C and INJ groups, despite a significant increase in the subgroups with moderate and severe elevations of ALT. The dogs with icteric serum exhibited decreased PON-1 activity, while lipemic serum was associated with an increased PON-1 activity. A significant reduction in PON-1 activity was noted in the FAIL group, compared to both C and INJ groups (p < 0.0001), regardless of serum appearance. Given the retrospective nature of this study, additional evaluations (e.g., histopathology, imaging) were not performed. The results obtained here suggest the importance of interpreting PON-1 activity cautiously in dogs with suspected liver disease.

Self-Reported Utilization of International Guidelines for Staging Dogs with Myxomatous Mitral Valve Degeneration: A Survey among Veterinary Practitioners

BACKGROUND

ACVIM developed and published guidelines for staging myxomatous mitral valve degeneration in dogs in 2009. An updated version was published in 2019. The present study aimed to investigate whether these guidelines are actually used by the intended public more than a decade after their first publication.

METHODS

An online survey was distributed among Dutch and Belgian veterinarians through online channels and mailing lists.

RESULTS

Of the 524 responses, only 363 complete surveys were analyzed. The ACVIM guidelines are used by 60% of the respondents. Veterinarians find it more difficult to differentiate stage B1 from B2 in asymptomatic dogs compared to diagnosing stage C. Three-quarters of the respondents would recommend echocardiography for an incidentally detected new murmur with an intensity of 3 out of 6 in an adult dog. Two-thirds of the respondents find coughing a convincing finding for stage C disease. Close to half of the respondents associate a horizontal, dull percussion line with pulmonary edema. For confirming cardiogenic pulmonary edema, 98% of the respondents used thoracic radiographs.

CONCLUSIONS

Veterinary practitioners might not have the expected training and equipment to be able to apply the guidelines in their practices, especially in the differentiation of stage B1 from stage B2.