COMPOSITION OF PROTEIN IN URINE FROM DOGS WITH PYODERMA

The protein fractions in urine from proteinuric dogs with and without pyoderma were estimated. Fifteen dogs with pyoderma (five with superfi cial and 10 with deep pyoderma) were compared with 10 dogs with glomer ulopathy and 27 dogs with diseases other than pyoderma or urinary trac t problems. Agarose gel electrophoresis was used to fractionate the pr oteins. Three types of electrophoretogram were obtained with albuminur ia, globulinuria and serum-like profiles. An albuminuria profile was f ound in eight of the 27 dogs with other diseases, in three of the five dogs with superficial pyoderma, in eight of the 10 dogs with deep pyo derma and in all 10 dogs with glomerulopathy. The albuminuria profile (mean [sem] albumin/globulin ratio 1.98 [0.10]) was also characterised by alpha(1b), alpha(2a), and beta(2) globulin peaks in all 29 dogs wi th this profile, which was therefore thought to indicate that albuminu ria (glomerular proteinuria) was a result of glomerular damage and inf lammation because alpha(1b), alpha(2a), and beta(2) globulins are cons idered to be acute phase proteins. The serum-like profile (mean [sem] albumin/globulin ratio 0.72 [0.01]) was observed in 13 per cent of the proteinuric dogs examined and contained all the protein fractions nor mally detected by electrophoresis of serum. The profile was considered to be a variant form of the albuminuria profile, probably indicating advanced glomerular lesions and inflammation. The globulinuria profile (mean [sem] albumin/globulin ratio 0.33 [0.08]) was significantly dif ferent from the other two in that it was characterised by a low albumi n peak and the presence of globulin fractions not clearly distinguisha ble from each other because of their confluency and absence of individ ual peaks. This profile could indicate severe glomerulotubular lesions and degradation of certain protein fractions. It could also be a resu lt of increased secretion of tissue and other proteins by damaged tubu les. It was concluded that glomerular damage lends to glomerular prote inuria characterised by high proportions of albumin together with alph a(1b), alpha(2a) and beta(2) globulins in lower but significantly diag nostic proportions.