A prospective cohort study to identify clinical diagnostic and prognostic markers of primary immune thrombocytopenia in dogs

Background: Primary immune thrombocytopenia (pITP) in dogs presents a diagnostic challenge, and clinical markers of severity are lacking.

Objectives: Identify clinicopathologic features that differentiate pITP from secondary ITP (sITP) and markers related to bleeding severity, transfusion, and survival of dogs with pITP.

Animals: Ninety-eight thrombocytopenic dogs (58 pITP and 40 sITP).

Methods: Client-owned dogs with platelet counts <50 000/μL were enrolled in a prospective, multi-institution cohort study. History and treatment information, through a maximum of 7 days, was recorded on standard data forms. Bleeding severity was scored daily using a bleeding assessment tool (DOGiBAT). At-admission blood samples were collected for CBC, biochemistry, C-reactive protein concentration, and coagulation panels, and to measure platelet surface-associated immunoglobulin G (PSAIg) and expression of platelet membrane proteins and phospholipids. Dogs with evidence of coincident disease were classified as sITP.

Results: No definitive pITP diagnostic test was found. However, pITP cases were characterized by lower platelet counts, D dimer concentrations, and platelet membrane protein expression than sITP cases. Differentiation between pITP and sITP was further enhanced using logistic regression modeling combining patient sex, coagulation profile, platelet count, D dimer, and PSAIg. A second model of pITP severity indicated that low hematocrit and high BUN concentration were associated with non-survival. Low hematocrit at admission, but not platelet count or DOGiBAT score, was associated with transfusion.

Conclusions and clinical importance: Pending validation studies, models constructed from at-admission clinicopathologic findings may improve differentiation of pITP from sITP and identify the most severe pITP cases at the time of presentation.