title: Clinicopathologic and prognostic factors in short- and long-term surviving dogs with protein-losing enteropathy.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the differences in the characteristics of short- and long-term surviving dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) and to identify factors that predict its outcome. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 59 client- owned dogs with PLE diagnosed at three different hospitals between January 2009 and November 2013. The dogs were classified as either short-term (= 6 months; STs) or long-term (> 6 months; LTs) survivors. Clinical and clinicopathological variables were investigated between the groups and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed. Nineteen dogs were classified as STs and 40 as LTs. Body weight and blood urea nitrogen concentrations were significantly higher in the STs at diagnosis (P < 0.05). At 1 month after initiation of immunosuppressive therapy (data- driven cut-off, T1), chronic canine enteropathy clinical activity index (CCECAI) scores were higher (P < 0.01) and albumin, serum total protein and total cholesterol concentrations were lower (P < 0.01) in the STs. ROC curve analysis showed that CCECAI > 5 evaluated at T1 was the best predictor of poor outcome. Although the severity of clinical signs and the majority of clinicopathological findings at diagnosis did not influence the outcome, survival time was shorter in the dogs with high CCECAI scores at T1 and which did not respond to therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gianella
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Clinic Valdinievole, Monsummano Terme (PT), Italy.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bellino
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bresciani
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cagnasso
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fracassi
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'angelo
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pietra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D001835:Body Weight; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D004285:Dogs; D011379:Prognosis; D011504:Protein-Losing Enteropathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012372:ROC Curve
keywords: Darmentzündung; Hund; Prognose; Risikofaktoren; canine; chronic enteropathy,
  risk factors; chronische
  Enteropathie; inflammatory bowel disease; outcome