title: Serum cobalamin and methylmalonic acid concentrations in dogs with chronic gastrointestinal disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of hypocobalaminemia or methylmalonic acidemia (or both) in dogs with chronic gastrointestinal disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples from 56 dogs with chronic gastrointestinal disease and 43 control dogs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum cobalamin and methylmalonic acid (MMA) concentrations were measured in all samples and compared between groups. A correlation between serum cobalamin and MMA concentrations and the canine chronic enteropathy clinical activity index was evaluated via the Spearman rank correlation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  20 of 56 (36%) dogs with gastrointestinal disease had hypocobalaminemia. Serum cobalamin concentrations were significantly lower in dogs with gastrointestinal disease than in control dogs. Five of 56 (9%) dogs with chronic gastrointestinal disease and 5 of 20 (25%) hypocobalaminemic dogs had increased MMA concentrations. There was a significant negative correlation (Spearman r = -0.450) between serum cobalamin and MMA concentrations in dogs with gastrointestinal disease. No correlation was found between the canine chronic enteropathy clinical activity index and serum cobalamin or MMA concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data indicated the prevalence of hypocobalaminemia in dogs with chronic gastrointestinal disease was 20 of 56 (36%). Five of 20 (25%) hypocobalaminemic dogs had increased serum MMA concentrations, which indicated that although hypocobalaminemia was common in these dogs, it did not always appear to be associated with a deficiency of cobalamin on a cellular level. Hypocobalaminemia is a risk factor for negative outcome in dogs with chronic gastrointestinal disease and should be considered in every patient with corresponding clinical signs.
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA. nberghoff@cvm.tamu.edu
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Berghoff
authors.forename: Nolie K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Parnell
authors.forename: Steve L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Jan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Suchodolski
authors.forename: Jörg M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Steiner
mesh_terms: D000592:Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000662:veterinary; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008163:Luminescent Measurements / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D008764:Methylmalonic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D008764:Methylmalonic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12