Ampiezza della distribuzione eritrocitaria in cani con ipertensione polmonare

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a quantitative measurement of anisocytosis. This haematological parameter is an important prognostic biomarker for different cardiovascular and thrombotic disorders in humans but has been poorly investigated in dogs with cardiovascular disorders. The RDW and various complete blood count and serum biochemical variables were prospectively investigated in 157 client-owned dogs, including 39 healthy dogs, 94 dogs with chronic degenerative valvular disease (CDVD) with or without pulmonary hypertension (PH) and 24 dogs with pre-capillary PH. Correlations between RDW and various echocardiographic and laboratory variables were also investigated. Median RDW in dogs with pre-capillary PH (14.0%; range, 11.3-22.4%) and dogs with CDVD, either with PH (13.5%, range 11.2-16.6%) or without PH (13.55%, range 11.7-17.6%) was significantly increased compared to that of healthy dogs (13.1%, range 11.8-14.5%; P < 0.001, P < 0.05 and P < 0.05, respectively). The RDW had a significant, weak, positive correlation with white blood cell count (correlation coefficient = 0.282), urea concentration (correlation coefficient = 0.299) and Doppler-derived pulmonary artery systolic pressure (correlation coefficient = 0.238). Results of the present study indicate that PH can play a role in the pathophysiology of anisocytosis and associated RDW levels and that RDW is correlated with PH severity in dogs.