Comparative proteomic profile of canine uterus with pyometra

Pyometra, a common disorder in intact bitches, can lead to canine sepsis. Identification of biomarkers for sources of infection in the uterus using two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE)-mass spectrometry (MS) analysis may enable the discovery of novel diagnostic markers of sepsis. Toward this end, surgically resected uterus samples from four bitches (three pyometra and one healthy) were randomly selected for 2-DE-MS, which identified 32 differentially expressed proteins, including seven inflammatory proteins, five non-inflammatory proteins, and 20 functionally unknown proteins. Despite the limited information on canine uterus proteomics, we suggest the potential use of differentially expressed uterus proteins as candidate biomarkers to discover targets to attenuate inflammation in pyometra. Further identification of the functionally unknown proteins is warranted.