Comparison of canine CPSE analysis and prostate gland biopsies

Abstract

The prostate gland is the only accessory sex gland in male dogs. The most common prostatic disease is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Different methods of the examination in case of suspected BPH are being used in veterinary practices, whereas rectal palpation and ultrasonography have been determined as "gold-standard" [1]. Nevertheless, it has been recommended to confirm BPH by FNA tissue sample analysis [2]. However, nowadays the assessment of canine prostate-specific esterase arginase (CPSE) is used more frequently for the diagnosis of BPH [2]. Our study aim was to determine the relationship between CPSE concentrations and prostate tissue histopathological findings. 20 large breeds, intact breeding male dogs of different age were included in the study. All dogs were clinically healthy and had not been bred in the past three months. Venous blood samples were taken from each dog and sent for CPSE analysis. Prostate gland biopsies were taken by ultrasound-guided technique proposed by Kustritz et al. and evaluated by board certified pathologist [3]. Our results showed that 14 of 20 dogs were diagnosed with BPH based on histopathological results. Their CPSE mean value was 213.6 ± 16.3 ng/ml and ranged from 68.9 to 281.1 ng/ml. The healthy males mean CPSE value was 45.3 ± 5,32 ng/ml and ranged from 20,3 to 50.6 ng/ml. We recommend to perform CPSE in cases of suspected BPH and avoid invasive diagnostic methods.