C-Reactive Protein in dogs

[Amandasmom]

With all this reseach coming out on C-reactive protein and heart disease. I was wondering if there has been any research done on dogs. All the papers I have found are related to specific illness. In humans, they (the people who say things) are saying that an aspirin a day works because it's an anti inflamitory. Inflammation in the blood vessels is what causes the problems with heart disease. So should I be giving the dogs a baby aspirin a day?

[ldvet]

Hello,

Since dogs do not suffer heart attacks like humans, it is unlikely that dogs would have this protein. My guess is that this protein is not found with any consistency in dogs so even if there were a test you could use on dogs, it might not be helpful. In the link below, there is a paragraph about some of the causes of high C-reactive protein. Dogs do not have a problem with most of these (smoking, alcohol consumption, etc.) so they probably wouldn't have a problem with the protein. I hope this helps.

http://www.drmirkin.com/heart/2134.html

[k9Karen]

CRP is one of the major plasma proteins (AKA cytokines) that increases dramatically in concentration during the acute-phase inflammatory response. (It increases up to 2000 fold). Increases are dramatically higher in bacterial infections than in viral ones. CRP is an almost primordial mediator of inflammation. Its chemical composition in horseshoe crabs (considered one of the oldest living creatures that is virturally unchanged from its fossilized ancestors) is almost identical to that found in humans. It is a fantastic indicator of the degree of inflammation present. Total CRP can help determine whether an infection is bacterial or viral in origin - a great way to determine if a small child needs to be admitted to the hospital or can be sent home from the E.R. with meds for palitative treatment only. It is also used to monitor organ transplant patients for signs of rejection and to monitor chronic inflammatory illnesses like lupus erythematosis and rheumatoid arthritis. etc. Since it has a half-life of only 19 hours, increases are considered to be "real time" unlike tests like erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESR) that tend to run 1 - 2 weeks behind what is happening in the patient.

With heart disease in humans, it is the ultra-sensitive CRP that is measured - a fraction of the total CRP, not the total CRP. The elevation of US-CRP has been found to be due to bacterial infections, such as Chlamydia pneumoniae, which are believed to be involved in arterial plaque formation. (It is now thought that many cases of "narrowing of the arteries" may be of bacterial origin, and may be reversible with antibiotic treatment.) Aspirin treatment may reduce the inflammation, but does not go the the root cause.

OK, off my soapbox now - sorry but this is a topic that absolutely fascinates me! (Once a microbiologist always a microbiologist! )

Heart disease in humans is caused by a lifetime of bad behaviors (like ldvet mentioned) and possibly the infection with C.pneumoniae and/or related organisms. Just my opinion, but I don't think canines live long enough for the same type of damage to be done to their arteries and heart.

[Amandasmom]

Thanks, I see your point. If you don't live long enough to form plaques on the arteries, you don't have to worry about them sloughing off. I did find some articles on the crp test in dogs. It is pretty interesting.

http://www.vetclinpathjournal.org/VOL32 ... _81-87.pdf
http://www.dcavm.org/00oct.htm

Wow, imagine how successful I would be if I put this much work into my real job?

[ldvet]

Well, it is not just the fact that they don't live long enough to form plaques but the fact that dogs process fats somewhat differently than humans. Fat is the first source of energy for dogs, especially endurance dogs, and dogs use fat very effectively. Carbohydrates are a secondary energy source.

Plaques do not form because the dogs metabolism is different. They do not have plaques; even older dogs do not have plaques. I think it is the nature of their metabolism.

[Amandasmom]

Thanks ldvet, it starting to make sense to me. You don't often here people talking about their dogs cholestoral level.

[k9Karen]

Well, it is not just the fact that they don't live long enough to form plaques but the fact that dogs process fats somewhat differently than humans. Fat is the first source of energy for dogs, especially endurance dogs, and dogs use fat very effectively. Carbohydrates are a secondary energy source.

Plaques do not form because the dogs metabolism is different. They do not have plaques; even older dogs do not have plaques. I think it is the nature of their metabolism.

Interesting!! The immune system, metabolic processes, etc. in dogs are so similar to humans, and yet different. If, as the research indicates, chronic infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae (and possibly other, similar organisms) is responsible for arterial plaque formation, I think it very likely that these organisms do not cause infections in canines because of those differences. Thanks ldvet - I know just enough about human medicine to be dangerous, but I'm always willing to learn - whether it be canine or human medicine.