Blood Chemistry Profile and Cardiac Troponin T Concentration in Thai Stray Dogs Infected with Heartworms

Abstract

To investigate blood chemistry profile and to determine levels of myocardial marker proteins in canine dirofilariasis, measurements of biochemical parameters in liver and renal profile as well as the activity of the enzyme creatine kinase (CK) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) concentration were performed on 72 Thai stray dogs with and without the presence of heartworms. The results showed that, with the exception of the low levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and uric acid, levels of other blood chemistry variables are comparable to those obtained from human subjects. The relatively high activity of CK observed was probably due to skeletal muscle injury occurred during restraint of animals. The majority of dogs, on the other hand, exhibited virtually non-detectable cTnT concentration comparable to those observed in apparently healthy persons. Furthermore, there was no statistically significant difference in cTnT levels between asymptomatic dogs with and without the presence of heartworms. These results may provide a basis for future clinical studies on assessing the extent of myocardial cell damage in symptomatic heartworm disease.