title: Inflammatory, immunological, and intestinal disease biomarkers in Chinese Shar-Pei dogs with marked hypocobalaminemia.
abstract: Chinese Shar-Pei dogs have a high prevalence of hypocobalaminemia and are commonly presented with clinical signs suggestive of severe and long-standing gastrointestinal disease such as diarrhea, vomiting, and/or weight loss. The aim of the current study was to evaluate serum concentrations of inflammatory markers, markers for intestinal disease, and immunological markers in Shar-Peis with hypocobalaminemia or normocobalaminemia (serum cobalamin concentrations within the reference interval). Serum samples from Shar-Peis were collected from various parts of the United States. Serum concentrations of inflammatory markers (i.e., C-reactive protein [CRP], calprotectin [CP], and S100A12), hyaluronic acid (HA, a marker for cutaneous mucinosis), and analytes commonly altered in chronic intestinal diseases (i.e., albumin, zinc, alpha1-proteinease inhibitor [α1PI], immunoglobulin [Ig]A, and IgM) were compared between Shar-Peis with hypocobalaminemia and Shar-Peis with normocobalaminemia. Serum concentrations of CRP, CP, S100A12, HA, zinc, and cα1-PI concentrations did not differ between hypocobalaminemic and normocobalaminemic Shar-Peis (P > 0.05). Serum concentrations of albumin were significantly lower in hypocobalaminemic Shar-Peis (median: 2.5 g/dl) than in normocobalaminemic Shar-Peis (median: 2.9 g/dl; P < 0.0001). Higher serum IgA concentrations and lower serum IgM concentrations were observed in hypocobalaminemic Shar-Peis (median: 1.7 g/l and 0.8 g/l, respectively) than in normocobalaminemic Shar-Peis (median: 0.7 g/l and 1.9 g/l, respectively; both P < 0.0001). In conclusion, no difference was found in serum concentrations of CRP, CP, S100A12, and HA between hypocobalaminemic and normocobalaminemic Shar-Peis whereas some differences were observed in analytes (e.g., albumin, IgA, and IgM) that may be altered in patients with chronic enteropathies.
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (Grützner, Heilmann, Cranford, Suchodolski, Steiner), Texas A&M University, College Station, TXMicroscopy and Imaging Center, Department of Biology and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (Holzenburg), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX tierarztbz@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Grützner
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (Grützner, Heilmann, Cranford, Suchodolski, Steiner), Texas A&M University, College Station, TXMicroscopy and Imaging Center, Department of Biology and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (Holzenburg), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
authors.forename: Romy M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Heilmann
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (Grützner, Heilmann, Cranford, Suchodolski, Steiner), Texas A&M University, College Station, TXMicroscopy and Imaging Center, Department of Biology and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (Holzenburg), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
authors.forename: Shannon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cranford
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (Grützner, Heilmann, Cranford, Suchodolski, Steiner), Texas A&M University, College Station, TXMicroscopy and Imaging Center, Department of Biology and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (Holzenburg), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holzenburg
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (Grützner, Heilmann, Cranford, Suchodolski, Steiner), Texas A&M University, College Station, TXMicroscopy and Imaging Center, Department of Biology and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (Holzenburg), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
authors.forename: Jan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Suchodolski
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (Grützner, Heilmann, Cranford, Suchodolski, Steiner), Texas A&M University, College Station, TXMicroscopy and Imaging Center, Department of Biology and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics (Holzenburg), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
authors.forename: Jörg M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Steiner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D013045:Species Specificity; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood*; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D014805:Vitamin B 12
keywords: Chinese Shar-Pei dogs; hypocobalaminemia; inflammatory markers