Abstract:
Accurate measurements of serum aminotransferase (ALT) activity in dogs relies on the endogenous pro-enzyme pyridoxal 5-phosphate (P5P). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the
exclusion of P5P from the analytical method causes an underestimation of serum ALT activity in dogs suffering from babesiosis and in those manifesting evidence of hepatocellular damage, and to determine
if anorexia causes sufficient P5P depletion to affect in vitro serum ALT activity. One-hundredand- and twenty healthy control dogs and 105 Babesia-infected dogs were included in the study. Two methods for ALT measurement were used: Method 1 included P5P, and Method 2 excluded P5P from
the reaction mixture. Higher serum ALT activity was measured with Method 1 in the Babesia-infected dogs (P < 0.001), as well as in 14 dogs with suspected hepatocellular damage (P = 0.03). Duration of anorexia had no effect, irrespective of the method used. Although inclusion of P5P to the reaction
mixture consistently resulted in higher measured serum ALT activity, the differences were too small to have led to incorrect diagnoses in the Babesia-infected dogs suspected of liver disease.
