2015 ACVIM Forum Research Abstract Program

EFFECT OF GASTROINTESTINAL PARASITES AND VIRAL AGENTS ON FECAL S100A12 CONCENTRATIONS IN PUPPIES. Romy Heilmann 1 , Aurelien Grellet 2 , Niels Gr€ utzner 3 , Jan Suchodolski 1 , J€ org Steiner 1 . 1 Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA, 2 Royal Canin, Aimargues, France, 3 Vetsuisse University Bern, Bern, BE, Switzerland Previous data suggest that S100A12 may be clinically useful as a biomarker of inflammation in both humans and dogs. In dogs with chronic gastrointestinal (GI) disease, fecal S100A12 concentrations were increased and correlated with the severity of clinical disease, endoscopic changes observed in the intestine, and the severity of histologic lesions in the colon. Higher fecal S100A12 concentrations also correlated with a negative outcome in dogs with inflammatory bowel disease. However, the effect of GI pathogens on fecal S100A12 concentrations in dogs has not yet been reported, and this information will be important for any further evaluation of the clinical utility of fecal S100A12 as a marker for GI inflammation. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the presence and numbers of parasites as well as viral agents that are known to cause GI signs in dogs on fecal S100A12 concentrations in a large cohort of puppies.