Fellow: Amy Huynh

Mentor: Yael Merbl

Co-Mentor: Mark Rishniw

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): 

Lameness, a common clinical complaint in dogs, is caused by either neurologic or musculoskeletal diseases. Differentiating the cause of lameness can be a diagnostic challenge, requiring multiple costly and/or invasive diagnostics. Sensitive and specific screening tests for identifying the cause of lameness do not exist. Neuronspecific enolase (NSE) is a cytosolic enzyme predominantly found in neurons that are released into extracellular space when neurons are damaged. Aims: 1. Measure serum NSE concentration in dogs with acute onset of lameness and dogs without lameness using a commercial validated canine ELISA kit. 2. Assess the diagnostic utility of serum NSE as a biomarker to differentiate acute neurologic and musculoskeletal lameness in dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dogs with diagnosed neurologic, orthopedic, and dermatologic diseases (non-lame control) will be recruited over a 3-month period. Dogs will be excluded if there are concurrent neurologic and musculoskeletal diseases or without a definitive cause of lameness. Three milliliters of whole blood will be drawn, serum separated and diluted 1:50 with 0.9% saline, and stored at −80°C. Hemolysis (which can artifactually increase NSE concentrations) will be determined subjectively using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hemolysis reference. Hemolytic samples will not be included in this study. Serum NSE concentrations will be measured using a commercially available canine NSE enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). EXPECTED OUTCOME: We expect serum NSE will be significantly elevated in dogs with acute lameness secondary to neurologic disease but not in dogs with musculoskeletal causes, or in dogs without lameness. SIGNIFICANCE: This study will provide preliminary data for a larger study to potentially create a quick, noninvasive, economical test to differentiate causes of lameness for use by veterinarians.