Thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor activity in healthy and diseased dogs.
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.
Jessen
Lisbeth R
LR
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. lrmj@life.ku.dk
Wiinberg
Bo
B
Kjelgaard-Hansen
Mads
M
Jensen
Asger L
AL
Rozanski
Elizabeth
E
Kristensen
Annemarie T
AT
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
D005340:Fibrinogen; D025901:Carboxypeptidase B2