Peripheral biomarkers of oxidative stress in dogs with acute pancreatitis

Background Oxidative stress is considered a pathomechanism of acute pancreatitis (AP), but no studies have extensively characterized oxidant status in dogs with naturally-occurring AP. Hypothesis or Objectives Evaluate measures of oxidant status in dogs with AP and explore whether these measures correlate with AP severity. Animals Fifteen dogs with AP and 9 control dogs. Methods Prospective, controlled observational study. Plasma reactive metabolite (RM) concentrations, antioxidant potential (AOP), and urinary F-2 isoprostane concentrations were measured in AP dogs and healthy controls. Severity of AP was assessed by length of hospitalization and 3 disease severity indices: canine acute pancreatitis severity (CAPS), modified canine activity index (M-CAI), and the acute patient physiologic and laboratory evaluation score (APPLE(full)). Results Reactive metabolite (RM) concentrations (median, 65 relative fluorescent units [RFU]/mu L; range, 20-331 RFU/mu L) and RM:AOP (median, 7; range, 4-109) were higher in AP dogs than healthy controls (median RM, 25 RFU/mu L; range, 16-41 RFU/mu L; median RM:AOP, 4; range, 2-7; P < .001 for both comparisons). Reactive metabolite (r(S) = 0.603, P = .08) and RM:AOP (r(S) = 0.491, P = .06) were not correlated with the duration of hospitalization or disease severity indices evaluated. However, disease severity indices did not predict mortality in our study. Normalized urine 2,3-dinor-8-iso-prostaglandin F2 alpha concentrations were correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP; r(S) = 0.491, P = .03), canine specific pancreatic lipase (Spec cPL; r(S) = 0.746, P = .002), and CAPS (r(S) = 0.603, P = .02). Conclusions and Clinical Importance Oxidant status is altered in dogs with naturally occurring AP, but the clinical relevance of this finding is unknown.