title: Thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor activity in healthy and diseased dogs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In people, increased thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) antigen has been associated with increased risk of thrombosis, and decreased TAFI may contribute to bleeding diathesis. TAFI activity in dogs has been described in experimental models, but not in dogs with spontaneous disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare TAFI activity in healthy dogs with TAFI activity in dogs with spontaneous disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma samples from 20 clinically healthy Beagles and from 35 dogs with various diseases were analyzed using a commercial chromogenic assay that measured TAFI activity relative to activity in standardized pooled human plasma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median TAFI activity for the 20 Beagles was 46.1% (range 32.2-70.8%) compared with 62.6% (29.1-250%) for the 35 diseased dogs, and 14/35 (40%) had TAFI activities >the upper limit for controls. The highest individual activities (>225%) were in 3 dogs with malignant neoplasms and 1 dog with thrombocytopenia. For data grouped by diagnosis, median TAFI activity was 61.7% for benign neoplasia (n=5), 64.9% for malignant neoplasia (n=8), 75.5% for Angiostrongylus vasorum infection (n=4), 68.8% for bacterial sepsis (n=7), and 58.7% for miscellaneous diseases (n=11). Compared with TAFI activity in control dogs, median TAFI activity was significantly increased only in the group of dogs with bacterial sepsis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bacterial sepsis was associated with significantly increased TAFI activity, and individual dogs with increased TAFI activities were found in all disease groups. The role of TAFI in the pathogenesis of hemostatic disorders in dogs and its value as a prognostic indicator deserve further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. lrmj@life.ku.dk
authors.forename: Lisbeth R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Jessen
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wiinberg
authors.forename: Mads
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kjelgaard-Hansen
authors.forename: Asger L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rozanski
authors.forename: Annemarie T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Kristensen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D025901:Carboxypeptidase B2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D004285:Dogs / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary; D010314:Partial Thromboplastin Time / Q000662:veterinary; D011517:Prothrombin Time / Q000662:veterinary; D018805:Sepsis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D005340:Fibrinogen; D025901:Carboxypeptidase B2