Untargeted metabolomic profiling of urine from healthy dogs and dogs with chronic hepatic disease
Fig 6
Urine metabolites of fatty acid biosynthesis with potential value as a biomarker of chronic hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma, or a congenital portosystemic shunt in dogs.
Each metabolite was identified by univariate analysis as important for the differentiation of dogs into either control, chronic hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma, or congenital portosystemic shunt groups. Palmitic acid was significantly different between groups (p = 0.01) and increased in the urine of dogs with chronic hepatitis compared to dogs with hepatocellular carcinoma or a congenital portosystemic shunt (q = 0.04, q = 0.03, respectively). Stearic acid was significantly different between groups (p = 0.01) and decreased in the urine of dogs with a congenital portosystemic shunt compared to dogs with chronic hepatitis (q = 0.04).