Evaluation of biomarker canine-prostate specific arginine esterase (CPSE) for the diagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
BACKGROUND
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common canine prostatic disorder. Although most or even all intact male dogs may develop BPH by 5-8 years of age, many show no clinical signs. Taking into account the non-specific character of clinical and ultrasonographic findings, a new diagnostic approach has recently been proposed based on the augmentation of blood canine prostate-specific arginine esterase (CPSE) in hyperplasic dogs. The aim of the present study was to verify CPSE levels in negative controls and hyperplasic dogs, considering cytological findings as the reference method and taking into account the fact that controls were middle-aged intact dogs (median of 5.0 years), contrarily to previous studies carried out with very young control dogs.


RESULTS
Significant differences of median CPSE levels were found between controls and hyperplasic dogs (29.1 versus 160.7 ng/mL, respectively); and significant positive correlations were found between median CPSE levels and age or prostatic volume (r = 0.549 and 0.448, respectively; p < 0.001). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios put into evidence the good performance of the test. The agreement between methods was found to be very high, notably between CPSE levels and cytological results (Cohen's kappa coefficients above 0.8).


CONCLUSIONS
Considering the results all together, measurement of CPSE is confirmed as a useful and accurate method and should be considered as an alternative or complementary tool to conventional methods for the diagnosis of BPH in middle-aged dogs.
University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto-Douro (UTAD), Vila Real, Portugal.
Dora
D
Pinheiro
Veterinary Teaching Hospital, UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal.
João
J
Machado
Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal.|Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal.
Carlos
C
Viegas
Department of Veterinary Clinics, UPVet, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Oporto, Portugal.
Cláudia
C
Baptista
Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, School of Life and Environment Sciences, UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal.
Estela
E
Bastos
UCIBIO, REQUIMTE, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Oporto, Portugal.
Joana
J
Magalhães
Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal.|Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal.
Maria A
MA
Pires
Veterinary Teaching Hospital, UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal.|Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal.
Luís
L
Cardoso
Veterinary Teaching Hospital, UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal. abessa@utad.pt.|Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences, UTAD, Vila Real, Portugal. abessa@utad.pt.
Ana
A
Martins-Bessa
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004285:Dogs; D008297:Male; D011467:Prostate / Q000473:pathology*; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D015415:Biomarkers; C019724:arginine esterase; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases
BPH; Benign prostate hyperplasia; Biomarker; CPSE; Canine prostate-specific arginine esterase; Prostate