title: Evaluation of albuminuria and its relationship with blood pressure in dogs with chronic kidney disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Microalbuminuria and hypertension have long been associated with a guarded prognosis in human patients with a variety of diseases. In veterinary medicine, tests for microalbuminuria have been used for detecting early kidney damage, but there is little information regarding its association with high blood pressure in dogs with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to evaluate albuminuria and its association with arterial hypertension in dogs with CKD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urinary albumin:creatinine (UAC) ratio, urinary protein:creatinine (UPC) ratio, and systolic blood pressure were determined in 39 clinically healthy dogs and 40 dogs with CKD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  UAC in dogs with CKD (range, 0.002-7.99; median, 0.38) was statistically different from that of control dogs (range, 0.0005-0.01; median, 0.002). Microalbuminuria (UAC 0.03-0.3) and macroalbuminuria (UAC>0.3) were detected in 32.5% and 50% of dogs with CKD, respectively. Sixty percent (24/40) of dogs with CKD had systolic pressure > or =180 mmHg; in these dogs, UAC ratio (range, 0.006-7.99; median, 1.72) was significantly higher than in dogs with CKD and systolic pressure<180 mmHg (range, 0.002-4.83; median, 0.10). Of hypertensive dogs with CKD, those with UPC>1.0 usually had macroalbuminuria, those with UPC 0.5-1.0 usually had microalbuminuria, and those with UPC<0.5 usually lacked albuminuria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  UAC ratio was higher in hypertensive than in normotensive dogs with CKD. Tests designed to detect microalbuminuria may be useful for hypertensive dogs with CKD and a UPC < or = 1.0 to detect the onset and magnitude of albuminuria. Once macroalbuminuria is overt, the UPC ratio itself can be used for the same purpose.
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP CEP 05508-270, Brazil.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bacic
authors.forename: Márcia M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kogika
authors.forename: Kátia C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Barbaro
authors.forename: Cristina S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Iuamoto
authors.forename: Denise M N
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.forename: Marcelo L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Santoro
mesh_terms: D000419:Albuminuria / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000662:veterinary; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine*; D004285:Dogs; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel / Q000662:veterinary; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine / Q000662:veterinary; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D003404:Creatinine