Abstract
BackgroundLower levels of tryptophan (TRP) have been identified in people with inflammatory bowel disease and in dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE). No data on serum amino acids (AAs) but some on plasma in canine immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy (IRE) are available. The aim of this study is to compare serum AAs between healthy and IRE dogs, considering clinicopathological variables and follow-up.ResultsTwenty-six healthy control dogs (CD) and 51 IRE dogs were included. IRE was diagnosed after the exclusion of extra-intestinal diseases and food and antibiotic responsive enteropathies. The canine chronic enteropathy clinical activity index (CCECAI) was assessed at presentation and during the clinical follow-up. In CD and IRE dogs, 19 different serum AAs were measured. IRE dogs were classified into responders, partial responders and non-responders, based on CCECAI after 1 month, and divided into PLE and non-PLE, based on albumin level. IRE dogs showed lower L-Tyrosine (TYR), L-Phenylalanine (PHE) and TRP (p < 0.001) and higher L-Serine (SER), L-Glutamic acid (GLU), L-Arginine (p < 0.001), L-Threonine (p = 0.013), Proline (p = 0.044), L-Cysteine (p = 0.003), L-Valine (p = 0.018), L-Lysine (p = 0.01) and L-Isoleucine (p = 0.005) than CDs. PLE dogs showed lower L-Histidine (HIS) (p = 0.008), PHE (p = 0.005) and TRP (p = 0.005) than non-PLE dogs. In IRE dogs, median GLU was significantly lower in dogs with BCS 3/9 than BCS 5/9 category (p = 0.036). Total protein was positively correlated with PHE and TRP (both p = 0.031, r = 0.30) and albumin was positively correlated with HIS (p = 0.025, r = 0.31), PHE and TRP (both p = 0.001, r = 0.46). HIS (p = 0.041), PHE (p = 0.047) and TRP (p = 0.044) concentrations were significantly lower in non-responders than in responders and partial responders.ConclusionsThis study may suggest further investigation on serum, HIS, PHE, TRP and TYR as markers of intestinal disease and proposed HIS, PHE and TRP as prognostic marker for response to therapy.
Highlights
Lower levels of tryptophan (TRP) have been identified in people with inflammatory bowel disease and in dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE)
In human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), specific alterations in the metabolism of amino acid (AA) can result from the pathophysiological process caused by bowel inflammation and can influence the progression of IBD [2, 3]
The microbiota synthesizes the different proteins and a variety of metabolites originating from AAs, which play an important role in the nutrition and physiology of the host [6]
Summary
Lower levels of tryptophan (TRP) have been identified in people with inflammatory bowel disease and in dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE). No data on serum amino acids (AAs) but some on plasma in canine immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy (IRE) are available. Amino acids (AAs) are required for gastrointestinal health, as they can improve intestinal growth and maintain mucosal integrity and barrier function [1]. In human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), specific alterations in the metabolism of AAs can result from the pathophysiological process caused by bowel inflammation and can influence the progression of IBD [2, 3]. The immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy (IRE) describes the intestinal idiopathic inflammation in dogs, that typically implies failed treatment trials with diet and subsequently antibiotics. In IRE, the intestinal inflammation has to be demonstrated by histological examination and requires an immunosuppressant treatment [9,10,11]
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