Hemostatic biomarkers in dogs with chronic congestive heart failure.
BACKGROUND
Chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) in humans is associated with abnormal hemostasis, and abnormalities in hemostatic biomarkers carry a poor prognosis. Alterations in hemostatic pathways can be involved in the pathogenesis of CHF in dogs, and microthrombosis in the myocardium could contribute to increased mortality.


OBJECTIVE
That plasma concentration or activity of hemostatic biomarkers is altered in dogs with CHF and that these factors predict mortality.


METHODS
Thirty-four dogs with CHF caused by either dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM, n=14) or degenerative valvular disease (CDVD, n=20) compared with 23 healthy age-matched control dogs were included in this study. Dogs with CHF were recruited from 2 referral cardiology clinics, and control dogs were owned by friends or colleagues of the investigators.


METHODS
Clinical examination and echocardiography were performed in all dogs. Plasma fibrinogen and D-dimer concentrations, antithrombin and protein C activity, and thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) were measured in all dogs.


RESULTS
Dogs with CHF had significantly higher fibrinogen (P = .04), D-dimer (P = .002), and TAT concentration (P < .0001), lower antithrombin (P < .0001) and protein C activity (P < .001) compared with control dogs. None of the hemostatic biomarkers were associated with risk of death.


CONCLUSIONS
There is evidence of a procoagulant state in dogs with CHF. The lack of predictive value for survival might be due to the small number of dogs examined. Further studies are necessary to investigate the presence and importance of microthrombosis in dogs with CHF.
Tarnow
Inge
I
Department of Basic Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Frederiksberg, Denmark. int@kvl.dk
Falk
Torkel
T
Tidholm
Anna
A
Martinussen
Torben
T
Jensen
Asger L
AL
Olsen
Lisbeth H
LH
Pedersen
Henrik D
HD
Kristensen
Annemarie T
AT
D000818:Animals; D000990:Antithrombin III; D000991:Antithrombins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality; D004285:Dogs; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000378:metabolism; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000097:blood*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011486:Protein C / Q000378:metabolism; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D000991:Antithrombins; D015415:Biomarkers; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D011486:Protein C; C046193:antithrombin III-protease complex; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D000990:Antithrombin III; D005340:Fibrinogen; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases