Frequency of abnormal C-reactive protein concentrations in blood of dogs with hypoadrenocorticism.

Elevated CRP is common in canine hypoadrenocorticism regardless of inflammatory comorbidities.

This retrospective study investigated C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations in 51 dogs with hypoadrenocorticism presented to two referral centers between 2017-2023. The primary finding was that elevated CRP (>10 mg/L) was present in 75% of cases, with a median concentration of 52.5 mg/L. Notably, elevated CRP was detected in both dogs with concurrent inflammatory comorbidities and those without, with no significant difference between groups. Similarly, no significant difference was observed between dogs with or without electrolyte abnormalities. This study challenges the assumption that elevated CRP in dogs necessarily indicates concurrent inflammatory disease. The findings suggest that hypoadrenocorticism itself may trigger elevation in acute phase proteins independent of other inflammatory conditions. The authors conclude that while high CRP concentrations are frequently identified in hypoadrenocorticism, extensive investigation for underlying inflammatory disease may not be warranted without additional supporting evidence of comorbidity.

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