Kidney injury biomarkers in the early diagnosis and monitoring of acute kidney injury in canine monocytic ehrlichiosis

Author(s)

André Nanny Le Sueur Vieira

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Botucatu. 2022-09-23.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia. Botucatu
• Defense date: 2022-01-27
• Advisor: Priscylla Tatiana Chalfun Guimarães Okamoto

Abstract

Canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME) is an intracellular, highly infectious bacterial disease caused by the etiological agent Erlichia canis. Ehrlichia is considered a potential etiologic agent for kidney disease. However, Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), a heterogeneous syndrome defined by the sudden decrease in glomerular filtration rate (GFR), has not yet been understood in this disease due to the use of the insensitive biomarker, serum creatinine (sCr). This study evaluated new biomarkers of kidney injury such as urinary Cystatin B and Clusterin (uCysB and uClust) and the performance of C-reactive Protein (CRP) as a biomarker of inflammation during the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of dogs naturally infected with E. canis. Twenty healthy dogs were included in the control group (CG) and 16 dogs naturally infected with E. canis were included in the Ehrlichia group (EG). EG dogs demonstrated a significant increase in uCysB, uClust and C-reactive protein concentrations compared to GC at the time of inclusion (P = 0.0004, P = 0.0001, P < 0.0001, respectively), although sCr values CG were higher than EG (P = 0.001), and SDMA concentrations showed no changes between both groups (P = 0.462). During the treatment of the EG, in addition to the improvement in clinical signs (PWeight = <0.0001), there was a significant reduction in all urinary biomarkers (PuCysB = <0.0001; PuClust = <0.0001; PUPC = <0.0001); serum (PsCr = <0.0001; PSDMA = <0.0001). Thus, we can conclude that dogs naturally infected by E. canis are prone to significant systemic inflammation and acute kidney injury due to increased concentrations of CRP, uCysB and uClust; nonetheless a subclinical AKI by sCr, and a possible mechanism for the observed predisposition to chronic kidney disease in dogs with ehrlichiosis. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/13427-6 - Renal biomarkers in dogs with Glomerulonephritis by Monocytic Ehrlichiosis
• Grantee: André Nanny Le Sueur Vieira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate