Proteinuria and Electrophoretic Pattern in Dogs with Comorbidities Associated with Chronic Kidney Disease

Abstract

In animals with chronic pathologies, the detection of proteinuria via the proteinuria: crea- tininuria ratio (UPC) and urinary protein electrophoresis allows for the early diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The objective of this work was to identify and determine the magnitude of proteinuria and its electrophoretic pattern characterization in dogs with chronic diseases pathophysi- ologically related to proteinuria. With the studied patients, five groups were formed. The control group (CG) contained non-proteinuric cases. The cases with proteinuria were classified into four groups according to the concurrent disease: chronic inflammatory diseases (IG), neoplasms (NG), heart diseases (HG), and endocrine diseases (EG). For the statistical analysis, descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were used. Data from 264 dogs were obtained; in the disease groups, proteinuria was observed in more than 30% as the only finding of kidney disease, evidencing a greater risk factor for proteinuria in the HG group (OR 4.047, CI 1.894–8.644, p < 0.0001). In the HG, NG, and EG groups, a higher frequency of glomerular pattern (GEP) related to glomerular hypertension was observed; in the IG, a higher frequency of mixed pattern (MEP) was observed. These findings are secondary to the hyperfiltration process that affects the glomerulus and the renal tubule.