Prospective Evaluation of Clinically Relevant Type B Hyperlactatemia in Dogs with Cancer

• Published in: Journal of veterinary internal medicine Vol. 24; no. 6; pp. 1458 - 1461
• Main Authors: Touret, M, Boysen, S.R, Nadeau, M.E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malden, USA J.B. Lippincott 01.11.2010; Blackwell Publishing Inc
• Subjects: Animals; blood; Cancer; cell biology; Dog Diseases - etiology; Dogs; glycolysis; histology; Hyperlactatemia; Lactate; Lactates - blood; Lymphoma; medicine; Neoplasms - blood; Neoplasms - veterinary; Warburg
• ISSN: 0891-6640; 1939-1676
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2010.0626.x

Background: Cancer is considered a cause of type B hyperlactatemia in dogs. However, studies evaluating cancer as a cause of clinically relevant type B hyperlactatemia (>2.5 mmol/L) are lacking. Cancer cells have a higher lactate production because of increased aerobic glycolysis, known as the “Warburg effect.” The mechanisms through which aerobic glycolysis occurs are not well elucidated, but neoplasia may cause type B hyperlactatemia via this process. Objectives: To determine if malignant tumors of dogs are associated with clinically relevant type B hyperlactatemia (>2.5 mmol/L). Animals: Thirty-seven client-owned dogs with malignant tumors: 22 with hematopoietic and 15 with solid tumors. Methods: Histology was used to confirm the diagnosis (cytology was considered adequate for diagnosis of lymphoma). Confounding conditions associated with hyperlactatemia were excluded. Lactate measurements were immediately performed on free-flow jugular whole blood samples using the LactatePro analyzer. Results: All dogs had lactate concentrations <2.5 mmol/L. Mean blood lactate concentration was 1.09 mmol/L. Mean blood lactate concentrations for solid and hematopoietic tumors were 0.95 and 1.19 mmol/L, respectively. Dogs with lymphoma (n = 18) had a mean blood lactate concentration of 1.15 mmol/L. Conclusions: Malignant tumors were not considered a cause of clinically relevant type B hyperlactatemia. Therefore, cancer-related type B hyperlactatemia in dogs is uncommon, and hyperlactatemia should prompt careful investigation for causes other than cancer.