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. 2024 May 18;20(1):210.
doi: 10.1186/s12917-024-04071-2.

Iron parameters analysis in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease

Ewa Kumiega  1 , Kamil A Kobak  2 , Agnieszka Noszczyk-Nowak  3 , Monika Kasztura  4
Affiliations

Iron parameters analysis in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease

Ewa Kumiega et al. BMC Vet Res. .

Abstract

Background: Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common acquired cardiovascular disease in small breed dogs. In contrast to human patients with heart failure (HF), iron deficiency (ID) prevalence in dogs with MMVD is weakly known. The study aimed to assess the usability of ID markers in serum and reticulocyte parameters from whole blood of dogs with MMVD to evaluate early ID symptoms.

Results: Sixty-eight dogs (43 male and 25 female) were included in the study. MMVD dogs were assigned according to the 2019 ACVIM guidelines for groups B1 (n = 9), B2 (n = 10), C (n = 27) and D (n = 10). Groups were also combined into B1 and B2 as non-symptomatic HF and C with D as symptomatic HF. Healthy controls were 12 dogs. Serum iron concentration below the reference range in dogs with MMVD was 12.5%. Other ID indices, such as %SAT, UIBC, and TIBC were similar in the MMVD groups and healthy controls (p > 0.05 for all parameters). Statistical comparison between control group and 4 groups of different stages of MMVD showed that significant differences occur only in serum transferrin. The assessment of ferritin and soluble transferrin receptors using Western Blotting did not show differences between control (n = 7) and MMVD (n = 33) dogs. Study has shown positive correlation between ID parameters and echocardiographic indices such as LA/Ao and LVIDdN, and some biochemical parameters. A significant increase in reticulocytes percentage, assessed manually, was observed in the HF group of animals (p = 0.027) compared to the control group.

Conclusions: Studies have shown that ID parameters in serum are not significantly different in dogs with MMVD compared to healthy dogs. However, there is a clear correlation between atrial size and normalised left ventricular size to body size and some biochemical parameters, including ID parameters and therefore the severity of MMVD.

Keywords: Dogs; Heart failure; Iron status; Myxomatous mitral valve disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Differences in the left atrium-to-aorta ratio (LA/Ao) (A), left ventricular internal diameters normalized to body weight (LVIDdN) (B), and heart rate (C) between groups of healthy (control), asymptomatic (non HF), and symptomatic (HF) dogs suffering from myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). Exact p-values displayed on graphs. P < 0.05 was used to indicate a statistically significant difference
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Differences in the ID indices such as iron concentration, transferrin, %SAT, UIBC and TIBC in serum in different stages of MMVD. Exact p-values displayed on graphs. P < 0.05 was used to indicate a statistically significant difference
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Differences in the ID indices such as iron concentration, transferrin, %SAT, UIBC and TIBC in serum in control group and asymptomatic (non HF; B1 and B2) and symptomatic (HF; C and D) group of MMVD. Exact p-values displayed on graphs. P < 0.05 was used to indicate a statistically significant difference
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Correlations between left ventricular internal diameters normalized to body weight (LVIDdN) parameter and iron (A) and transferrin (B) concentration, and transferrin saturation (%SAT) in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) included in the study analyzing iron parameters in dogs with various stages of MMVD
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