Thrombocytosis in brachycephalic dogs with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome

Abstract

Brachycephalic dogs are prone to a conformation-related respiratory disorder known as brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). Due to its systemic consequences, BOAS should be considered a systemic disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume (MPV), and plateletcrit (PCT) in patients with various grades of BOAS and non-brachycephalic dogs. The latter served as a control group. We included 106 patients with BOAS and 41 non-brachycephalic dogs. According to the severity of the disease, BOAS patients were classified into grade 1 (17 dogs), grade 2 (42 dogs), and grade 3 (47 dogs). Thrombocytosis was found in 46% (46/106) of all BOAS patients. High platelet mass was found in 62% (66/106) of all BOAS patients. We found significantly (P < 0.05) higher PLT, MPV, and PCT in BOAS patients of all grades compared to non-brachycephalic dogs. Our results suggest that platelets may play an important role in BOAS. Our results suggest that platelets may play an important role in BOAS. However, further studies are needed to clarify the role of PLT and platelet indices in BOAS and their relationship with inflammation and hypercoagulability.