Breed differences in natriuretic peptides in healthy dogs

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Cardiology
• Biomarker Research
• Canine Health Studies

Background:

• Plasma concentrations of natriuretic peptides (NPs) are potential biomarkers for canine cardiac disease.
• However, factors beyond cardiac status, such as dog breed, may influence NP levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate variations in plasma concentrations of pro-atrial natriuretic peptide 31-67 (proANP 31-67) and N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) among different dog breeds.
• To assess the impact of breed on these cardiac biomarkers in healthy dogs.

Main Methods:

• Examined 535 healthy dogs from 9 breeds across 5 European centers.
• Ensured absence of cardiovascular or systemic disease through thorough clinical evaluation.
• Measured plasma proANP 31-67 and NT-proBNP using commercially available ELISA assays.

Main Results:

• Significant breed differences were observed in both proANP 31-67 (P < .0001) and NT-proBNP (P < .0001) concentrations.
• Approximately 50% of pairwise breed comparisons showed significant differences for both biomarkers.
• High interquartile ranges were noted, particularly for NT-proBNP, indicating substantial within-breed variation.

Conclusions:

• Plasma NP concentrations exhibit considerable interbreed variation in healthy dogs.
• Large intrabreed variation, especially for NT-proBNP, was identified in several breeds.
• The findings underscore the need for breed-specific reference ranges for accurate interpretation of NP levels in canine cardiology.