Serum alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein concentrations before and after relapse in dogs with lymphoma treated with doxorubicin

Objective-To determine whether serum alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein (AGP) conce ntration was a useful marker of relapse in dogs with lymphoma that were in clinical remission following treatment with doxorubicin. Design-Cohort study. Animals-12 dogs with lymphoma and 10 healthy dogs. Procedure-Serum AGP concentration was measured in the healthy dogs and in t he dogs with lymphoma before treatment, 3 weeks after the first dose of dox orubicin was administered, and every 3 weeks thereafter until relapse (ie, recurrence of clinically detectable disease such as palpable enlargement of peripheral lymph nodes). Serum AGP concentrations were determined by use o f a radial immunodiffusion kit. Results-Mean serum AGP concentration in healthy dogs was significantly less than concentration in dogs with lymphoma prior to treatment. Mean serum AG P concentrations after the first and each subsequent dose of doxorubicin we re not significantly different from concentration in healthy dogs. However, mean serum AGP concentrations 3 weeks prior to and at the time of relapse were significantly higher than concentration measured after the first dose of doxorubicin, and were not significantly different from concentration mea sured before treatment. Clinical implications-Results suggest that measuring serum AGP concentratio n may be a useful method of predicting relapse before recurrence of clinica lly detectable disease in dogs with lymphoma undergoing treatment with doxo rubicin.