Background The digestive tract is responsible for the absorption of nutrients and the elimination of waste; hence with chronic enteropathies (CE) and especially protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) these diseases can severely impact a patient’s health and may even result in death. Studies in companion animals have shown that patients with CE and PLE have low stores […] Read more »
C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and albumin have long been used independently as markers for prognosis. Patients with either high inflammation or low albumin have tended to have worse outcomes. The use of the C-reactive protein/ albumin ratio (CAR) is growing in human medicine as a prognostic index for disease severity. With the growing use of CRP […] Read more »
Background: Early detection of disease allows for more treatment options and often results in better outcomes. Canine cancer is unfortunately a disease that can stay well hidden for a long time before becoming clinically evident, far into development. The Cancer Risk Assessment™ (CRA) is a blood test to screen apparently healthy dogs for early signs […] Read more »
As tumors advance they become more poorly differentiated. This results in a higher rate of incomplete cell cycle replication (dysregulated replication), higher tumor burden, and a higher rate of cell growth. All three of these factors increase TK1 levels substantially. Further, since inflammation is a functional part of tumor metastasis, cCRP also increases. Together, they […] Read more »
In dogs, C-reactive protein (CRP) is a major acute phase protein produced in response to inflammation and the release of cytokines. It has been shown to be an effective measure of general inflammation. Inflammation is involved in both the initiation and propagation of many disease processes. While non-specific, it is very sensitive to developing problems. […] Read more »
CRP Is Elevated In Cardiac Disease Inflammation plays a key role in a wide variety of cardiac diseases. In human medicine, the measurement of high-sensitivity CRP is used to predict the future development of heart disease (1,2). Similarly, an elevated inflammatory response (and hence CRP) is found in dogs. Researchers have documented significant elevations of CRP in […] Read more »
Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE), a syndrome of excessive loss of protein into the lumen of the GI tract, can be associated with a wide range of serious inflammatory diseases such as neoplasia and IBD as well as less severe disorders like food responsive diarrhea (FRD). Left untreated, PLE is often fatal. In the January issue of JAVMA, […] Read more »
Immune-mediated polyarthropathy (IMPA) is a common cause of chronic relapsing fever in dogs. It is associated with significant pain, lameness, or with a stiff/stilted gait. The diagnosis and monitoring of this disease requires serial synovial fluid analyses. Recently published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine , Foster, et. al, found that CRP is useful as a […] Read more »
