Serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations and lipoprotein profiles in dogs with naturally occurring pancreatitis and healthy control dogs.

Panagiotis G Xenoulis,Paul J Cammarata,Jörg M Steiner,Jan S Suchodolski,Rosemary L Walzem

doi:10.1111/jvim.15715

Abstract

BackgroundPrevious studies have reported an association between hyperlipidemia and pancreatitis in dogs, but details of this association remain poorly defined.Hypothesis/ObjectivesTo compare serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations and lipoprotein profiles between dogs with naturally occurring pancreatitis and healthy dogs.AnimalsSeventeen dogs with a clinical diagnosis of pancreatitis (Group 1) and 53 healthy control dogs (Group 2).MethodsProspective case‐control study.ResultsIn Group 1, 3/17 dogs (18%) had hypertriglyceridemia whereas in Group 2, 4/53 dogs (7.5%) had hypertriglyceridemia (odds ratio [OR], 2.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52‐13.14; P = .35). A significant difference was found in serum triglyceride concentrations between Group 1 (median, 67 mg/dL) and Group 2 (median, 54 mg/dL; P = .002). In Group 1, 4/17 dogs (24%) had hypercholesterolemia, whereas 1/53 (1.9%) dogs in Group 2 had hypercholesterolemia (OR, 16; 95% CI, 1.64‐155.5; P = .01). No significant difference was found in serum cholesterol concentrations between Group 1 (median, 209 mg/dL) and Group 2 (median, 227 mg/dL; P = .56). Lipoprotein profiles were significantly different between Group 1 and Group 2 dogs (Eigenvalues, 0.6719; R 2 = 1.0; P = .001).Conclusions and Clinical ImportanceMost dogs with pancreatitis (>70%) had serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations within reference intervals. In the small percentage of dogs that had hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, or both, increases were mild. Important differences were identified in lipoprotein profiles between dogs with pancreatitis and healthy control dogs. Dogs with pancreatitis had higher low‐density lipoprotein fractions and lower triglyceride‐rich lipoprotein and high‐density lipoprotein fractions than healthy dogs.

Highlights

The nature of the association between hyperlipidemia and pancreatitis remains unclear in dogs, but it has been speculated to be bidirectional.[1,2] Hypertriglyceridemia, a form of hyperlipidemia, has been considered to be the cause of pancreatitis in some cases
The purpose of our study was to investigate serum lipid and lipoprotein abnormalities associated with naturally occurring pancreatitis in dogs
Important differences were identified in lipoprotein profiles between dogs with pancreatitis and healthy control dogs

Summary

| INTRODUCTION

The nature of the association between hyperlipidemia and pancreatitis remains unclear in dogs, but it has been speculated to be bidirectional.[1,2] Hypertriglyceridemia, a form of hyperlipidemia, has been considered to be the cause of pancreatitis in some cases. This hypothesis is supported by the results of 2 clinical studies in dogs,[3,4] and is further supported by ex vivo studies[5] in dogs and clinical studies in humans.[6,7,8] On the other hand, hyperlipidemia has been hypothesized to be the result of pancreatitis.[1,2] this association is widely believed to be true, scientific evidence supporting this hypothesis has not been documented in dogs with naturally occurring pancreatitis. Our aims were (1) to measure serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations in dogs with naturally occurring pancreatitis and compare them with results in healthy control dogs, and (2) to evaluate the lipoprotein profiles of dogs with naturally occurring pancreatitis and compare them with those of healthy control dogs

| MATERIALS AND METHODS

| Ethics approval

| RESULTS

Findings

| DISCUSSION