Pernicious Anemia Due to Cobalamin Deficiency in Dogs with Helicobacter Gastritis

Abstract

Pernicious anemia due to cobalamin deficiency is a predominant finding in human Helicobacter infections, but is generally considered in exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and intestinal disease in veterinary medicine. The aim of this study is to investigate the cobalamin levels in dogs infected with Helicobacter spp. Material of the study were selected from 81 dogs referred to our clinics with probable gastrointestinal system origined clinical complaints including vomiting, neusea, epigastric pain and anorexia, and consisted of 36 female and 22 male (n:58) dogs in which Helicobacter spp. gastritis was diagnosed with Urea Breath test (C-14-UBT). To these dogs, gastroscopy, complete blood count, serum biochemistry including blood urea nitrogen (BUN), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkalen phosphatase (ALP), lipase, amylase, total protein and albumin levels were performed. In 38 dogs (65.51%) microcytic anemia was observed in complete blood count. All animals were treated with metronidazole, amoxycillin and famotidine and dietary management was scheduled. C-14-UBT test, complete blood count and cobalamine levels were reperformed after ceasion of the therapy. Cobalamin levels were analysed in 38 dogs with anemia. Low cobalamin levels were determined in dogs with gastric Helicobacter infection and anemia and after therapy-without any B-12 supplementation-cobalamin levels and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and Haemoglobin (Hgb) values elevated to normal reference limits were observed. This suggests that cobalamin level must be determined in dogs with Helicobacter infections and in deficiencies which are still present after therapy, essential supplementation would be clinically beneficial. In conclusion, this is the first study demonstrating that pernicious anemia must be a considered factor in Helicobacter gastritis with microcytic anemia in dogs and further investigation will be beneficial to demonstrate the cobalamin levels in dogs with or without microcytic anemia in Helicobacter gastritis.