Vet World   Vol.18   June-2025  Article - 13 

Evaluation of serum alpha-1B glycoprotein and C-reactive protein levels as biomarkers of canine benign prostatic hyperplasia

Background and Aim: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a prevalent disorder in aging male dogs, characterized by prostate enlargement secondary to hormonal dysregulation and chronic inflammation. Identifying non-invasive biomarkers is crucial for improving diagnosis and monitoring therapeutic interventions. This study aimed to evaluate serum alpha-1B glycoprotein (A1BG) and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations in dogs with BPH before and after castration, to assess their diagnostic and prognostic utility.

Materials and Methods: A total of 20 male dogs were assigned to two groups: healthy controls (n = 10) and BPH-affected dogs (n = 10). Blood samples were collected from controls and the BPH group at diagnosis and 1 month post-castration. Serum A1BG and CRP concentrations were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and fluorescence immunoassay, respectively. Prostatic volume (PV) was evaluated ultrasonographically.

Results: Dogs with BPH demonstrated significantly lower serum A1BG concentrations before castration compared to healthy controls (p < 0.01) and post-castration (p < 0.01). Post-castration A1BG levels were comparable to controls, suggesting biochemical normalization. Serum CRP concentrations remained within the normal range (<30 mg/L) across all groups and showed no significant differences. A significant negative correlation was observed between age and A1BG concentration in the pre-castration BPH group (r = −0.74, p = 0.02). Castration resulted in a marked reduction in PV, consistent with therapeutic response.

Conclusion: Serum A1BG demonstrated potential as a sensitive biomarker for the diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of canine BPH, in contrast to CRP, which exhibited limited diagnostic value. Normalization of A1BG levels post-castration supports its role in reflecting disease resolution. Integrating A1BG assessment into veterinary diagnostic workflows could enhance early detection, monitoring, and management strategies for BPH, offering a non-invasive and clinically informative approach. Further longitudinal studies with larger cohorts are warranted to validate these findings and explore long-term biomarker dynamics.

Keywords: alpha-1B glycoprotein, benign prostatic hyperplasia, canine biomarkers, castration, C-reactive protein.

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How to cite this article: Wongbandue G, Ploypetch S, Pruksakitcharoen P, Udomrit K, Nujan K, Seekhumtae R, Thubthim T, and Prapaiwan N (2025) Evaluation of serum alpha-1B glycoprotein and C-reactive protein levels as biomarkers of canine benign prostatic hyperplasia, Veterinary World, 18(6): 1540-1548.

Received: 08-02-2025   Accepted: 15-05-2025   Published online: 15-06-2025

Corresponding author: Nawarus Prapaiwan    E-mail: nawarus.pra@mahidol.ac.th

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.1540-1548

Copyright: Wongbandue, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.