Table 1.
The results of immunohistochemical examination in studied dogs
| Examined feature | DCM | MMVD | control | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DES intensity; median (range) | 1 (1–2)1 | 2 (1–3) | 2 (2–3)1 | 1 0.006 |
| DES %; average ± SD | 85.8 ± 10.9 | 84.8 ± 9.3 | 82.2 ± 8.6 | |
| DES Remmele; median (range) | 4 (3–8)1, 2 | 6 (4–9) 1 | 7 (6–10)2 | 1 0.03 |
| 2 0.001 | ||||
| DES desmosomes; median (range) | 0 (0–3)1 | 2 (0–3) | 2 (1–3)1 | 1 0.02 |
| VIM intensity; median (range) | 3 (2–3) | 3 (2–3) | 2 (2–3) | |
| VIM %; average ± SD | 15.3 ± 6.31,2 | 10.99 ± 5.71 | 10.5 ± 1.972 | 1 0.03 |
| 20.02 | ||||
| VIM Remmele; median (range) | 4 (2–6) | 3 (2–6) | 4 (3–5) | |
| PER intensity; median (range) | 1 (0–2) | 1 (1–2) | 1 (1–1) | |
| PER %; average ± SD | 27.96 ± 27.61 | 46.4 ± 28.5 | 67.76 ± 9.71 | 1 0.03 |
| PER Remmele; median (range) | 2 (0–3) | 3 (1–4) | 3 (3–3) | |
| CAS intensity; median (range) | 1 (0–2) | 1 (1–2) | 1 (1–2) | |
| CAS %; average ± SD | 46.9 ± 25.11,2 | 73.6 ± 24.91 | 84.6 ± 8.92 | 1 0.01 |
| 2 0.01 | ||||
| CAS Remmele; median (range) | 3 (1–4)1,2 | 4 (1–7)1 | 4 (3–9)2 | 1 0.01 |
| 2 0.01 |
DES desmin, VIM vimentin, PER periostin, CAS caspase, SD standard deviation, DCM dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy, MMVD dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease; superscripts (1,2) indicate values showing significant statistical difference.
All the cell markers were evaluated for: the intensity of expression (scored from 0: no expression to 3: strong expression), the percentage of cells showing positive expression, as well as the Remmele score (scored from 0 to 12, taking into account both the intensity of expression and percentage of positive cells). Additionally the cardiomyocyte desmosomes were evaluated for desmin expression from 0 (no visible desmosomes) to 3 (well visible desmosomes)