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We have developed new methods to study endothelial damage in canine blood and tissue and will investigate whether this is associated with arteriosclerosis, myocardial fibrosis and disease severity in dogs with MMVD.
Aims & Objectives
1. To characterise endothelial damage in dogs with different stages of MMVD
2. To visualise the endothelium in canine cardiac tissue and to assess relationship between endothelial damage and myocardial arteriosclerosis and fibrosis
3. To validate circulating markers of endothelial damage in canine blood and investigate their relationships with disease severity
4. To investigate changes in markers of endothelial damage over time and their relationships with disease progression in a cohort of dogs with MMVD of varying severity
Methods
Clinical studies – longitudinal evaluation of MMVD in dogs by serial echocardiography
Tissue studies – immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy
Circulating biomarkers of endothelial damage – validation of ELISAs, etc.
References
Keene BW, Atkins CE, Bonagura JD, et al. ACVIM consensus guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs. J Vet Intern Med 2019;33(3):1127-1140.