Investigation of procalcitonin and beta-defensin2 in the serum and feces of dogs with acute diarrhea

Background Acute diarrhea is a common clinical condition where clinical parameters are used to assess disease severity, course, and prognosis. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate procalcitonin (PCT) and beta-defensin2 (Bdef2) as biomarkers for disease severity, course, and prognosis of dogs with acute diarrhea. Methods Dogs with acute diarrhea (enteritis group [EG], n = 35) were compared with 30 healthy controls. The dogs in the EG were scored using the Canine Acute Diarrhea Severity (CADS) index and grouped by bacterial fecal culture results. Procalcitonin and Bdef2 were analyzed in serum and feces. Results Dogs with acute diarrhea showed higher serum PCT concentrations (P < 0.0001) and lower fecal Bdef2 concentrations (P = 0.0001) than unaffected dogs. Serum PCT was moderately and positively related to the extent of disease classified by the CADS score. Dogs with Clostridium perfringens or hemolyzing Escherichia coli as predominant pathogen had increased serum Bdef2 concentrations (P < 0.01). Differentiation between uncomplicated (<= 3 days) and complicated (>3 days) disease courses, determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, resulted in a sensitivity of 0.74 and a specificity of 0.69 for serum PCT at a cutoff of 3.9 ng/mL. The serum PCT and fecal Bdef2 quotient resulted in a sensitivity of 0.80 and a specificity of 0.92, with a cutoff of 80.5. Conclusions The results of the present study indicate that PCT and Bdef2 are potential biomarkers that can provide information on the severity, course, and prognosis of acute diarrhea in dogs.