Background
Lymphocytic‐plasmacytic enteritis is the common form of idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in dogs. In human IBD, disturbances of amino acid metabolism have been demonstrated to be involved in the pathophysiology of IBD. Therefore, plasma amino acid profile might represent a novel marker of human IBD.
Objectives
To determine the plasma amino acid profiles of dogs with IBD and its usefulness as a novel marker of IBD in dogs.
Animals
Fasting blood plasma was obtained from 10 dogs with IBD and 12 healthy dogs.
Methods
All IBD dogs were prospectively included in this study, and heparinized blood samples were collected. The plasma concentrations of 21 amino acids were determined using the ninhydrin method. The relationships among the plasma amino acid concentrations and plasma C‐reactive protein (CRP) concentration, canine chronic enteropathy clinical activity index (CCECAI), and overall World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) score were investigated.
Results
Median concentration (nmol/mL) of methionine [46.2; range, 30.0‐59.3], proline [119.4; range, 76.7‐189.2], serine [115.1; range, 61.4‐155.9], and tryptophan [17.4; range, 11.9‐56.3]) were significantly lower than in control dogs [62.6; range, 51.0‐83.6, 199.1; range, 132.5‐376.7, 164.3; range, 124.7‐222.9, and 68.3; range, 35.7‐94.8, respectively]. A negative correlation was identified between the plasma serine concentration and CCECAI (
r
s
= −.67,
P
= .03), but there were no correlations between plasma amino acid concentrations and CRP concentration or overall WSAVA score.
Conclusions and Clinical Importance
Plasma serine concentration might represent a novel maker of IBD in dogs.
Lymphocytic-plasmacytic
colitis (LPC) is a common form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affecting the canine
large intestine. Cytokines are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of IBD. However,
to date, few studies have investigated cytokine mRNA expression in dogs with LPC. In this
study, we investigated mRNA transcription levels of T helper cell cytokines, such as
IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-17 and IL-10 and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α,
IL-8, IL-12 and IL-23, in colonic mucosa from LPC dogs by quantitative real-time RT-PCR.
No significant differences were detected in cytokine mRNA expressions between dogs with
LPC and controls, except for IL-23p19. Dogs with LPC failed to express a predominant
cytokine profile in inflamed colonic mucosa as opposed to human IBD.
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