Professor Laboratory of Veterinary Internal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University cheongju, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Republic of Korea
Abstract:
Background: The complement system, a key component of innate immunity, is a neuroinflammatory pathway. There are increased levels of complement factors in animal epilepsy models and patients with epilepsy.
Objectives: To determine whether complement dysregulation occurs in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE) and whether serum complement levels are potential diagnostic markers of IE.
Animals: Forty-nine dogs with IE and 29 healthy dogs were included in this study.
Methods: In this case-control study, the serum levels of the third (C3) and fourth (C4) components of the complement system were measured using a canine-specific ELISA kit.
Results: Serum C3 and C4 levels were significantly higher (P < .001 and P = .03, respectively) in dogs with IE than in healthy control dogs. In contrast, no significant differences were observed in serum C3 and C4 concentrations between dogs in the treatment and non-treatment groups. Regarding clinical characteristics, dogs with a seizure frequency >3 times/month presented with significantly higher serum C3 (P < .01) and C4 (P = .01) concentrations than those with a seizure frequency ≤3 times/month.
Conclusions and clinical importance: The classical complement pathway might be associated with epileptogenesis in dogs with IE, and serum C3 and C4 levels could be diagnostic biomarkers of IE.
