Veterinerian Jeonbuk national university animal hospital Iksan, Cholla-bukto, Republic of Korea
Abstract: Background According to the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, pulmonary hypertension (PH) in dogs is defined by increased pulmonary arterial pressure, which can result in venous congestion and affect the hepatic vein. Understanding the relationship between PH and the hepatobiliary system is critical for disease management. Hypothesis/Objectives This study hypothesizes that dogs with PH exhibit significant alterations in liver enzyme levels. The objective is to investigate cardio-hepatic realtionship in dog with PH. Animals 64 dogs were included in this retrospective study: 33 dogs with PH diagnosed via echocardiographic criteria and 31 healthy controls with no clinical abnormalities. Methods Clinical data were collected from physical examinations, blood analyses, radiography, and echocardiography. Liver enzyme levels (ALT, ALP, AST, GGT, and total bilirubin) were analyzed and compared between groups. Statistical analyses included t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and Spearman’s rank correlation to assess relationships between liver enzyme levels and cardiac indices such as pulmonary velocity (PV vel), pulmonary arterial-to-aortic diameter (PA/Ao), tricuspid regurgitation velocity. Results Dogs with PH had higher ALT and ALP levels compared to controls (median [IQR][95% CI]: 102.5 [49-157] [85.15-137.14], 214 [128.5-505.75][231.12-557.58], respectively; p < 0.05). ALT correlated with PV vel (correlation coefficient = 0.345, p = 0.008) and PA/Ao (correlation coefficient = 0.276, p = 0.028). ALP correlated with PA/Ao (correlation coefficient = 0.399, p = 0.001). Conclusions and Clinical Importance These findings suggest that PH may affect the hepatobiliary system. Regular monitoring of liver enzymes in dogs with PH could facilitate early detection and management of systemic complications.
