Evaluation of heart fatty acid-binding protein as a biomarker for canine leishmaniosis.

BACKGROUND: Myocarditis frequently occurs in canine leishmaniosis (CanL). Heart fatty acid-binding protein (HFABP) is a biomarker of myocardial damage.

METHODS: This study aimed to compare HFABP concentration (HFABPc) in healthy dogs and dogs at different stages of CanL and evaluate the correlation of this biomarker with several clinicopathological and echocardiographic variables. Thirty-one dogs diagnosed with CanL and 10 healthy dogs were included.

RESULTS: HFABPc was not statistically different (p > 0.05) between groups of dogs at different LeishVet stages of CanL or between groups with high versus low to intermediate serology titres. In 70% of CanL dogs, HFABPc was within the 95% confidence interval limits of the mean of healthy dogs. A moderate negative correlation with globulin (r = -0.519; p = 0.03) and haematocrit (HCT) (r = -0.538; p = 0.02) was observed. No other significant correlation (p > 0.05) was observed with any other variable.

LIMITATIONS: Many statistical tests were performed, and therefore, type I error cannot be ruled out.

CONCLUSION: HFABPc is not consistently elevated in dogs with CanL and is not associated with the severity of the disease, or most echocardiographic or clinicopathological variables studied. The correlation with globulin and HCT was not strong and not considered clinically significant. HFABPc lacks sufficient predictive capacity in dogs with CanL, discouraging further research or clinical use of this biomarker in this disease.