INVESTIGATIONS INTO HYPERLIPIDEMIA AND ITS POSSIBLE ...

147
Of the 53 control dogs in Group 2, 1 (1.9%) had hypercholesterolemia. There was a
statistically significant difference in the proportion of dogs that had
hypercholesterolemia between dogs with pancreatitis (Group 1) and healthy control dogs
(P=0.011). However, there was no statistically significant difference in serum cholesterol
concentrations between Group 1 (median: 209 mg/dL; range: 142 – 849 mg/dL) and
Group 2 (median: 227 mg/dL; range: 97 – 338 mg/dL; P=0.565; Figure 23).
Lipoprotein profile analysis
All 17 dogs of Group 1 were used for lipoprotein profile analysis. In contrast,
only a fraction of dogs in Group 2 (29 dogs) with ages similar to the dogs of Group 1
were selected for lipoprotein profile analysis.
Sliced inverse regression analysis showed that lipoprotein profiles were distinctly
different between dogs with pancreatitis and healthy control dogs (Eigenvalues =
0.6719; P=0.0012). Dogs could be classified in the correct group (healthy versus
pancreatitis) with 89% accuracy based on their lipoprotein profiles alone (Figure 24).
The most important differences in the lipoprotein profiles between dogs with pancreatitis
and healthy dogs involved increases in LDL 2 , LDL 3 , and LDL 4 , and less prominent
decreases in TRL, HDL 2a , and HDL 3c . Figure 25A shows the lipoprotein density profile
of a representative dog with pancreatitis. Figure 25B shows the lipoprotein density
profile of a representative healthy dog. It is clear that the main differences between these
two exemplary lipoprotein profiles involved the LDL fractions, while the differences in
TRLs and HDL fractions were less prominent.