Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase as a biomarker of bone turnover in dog

Values of serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity were obtained in adult dogs and its biological variability was assessed. Nine healthy skeletally mature Portuguese Podengo dogs were used for the determination of TRAP, total and bone alkaline phosphatase serum activities, and also to study their relationship with serum minerals, namely calcium (Ca), phosphorous (P), and magnesium (Mg). The serum TRAP activity was 2.19 +/- 0.56IU/mL, with intra-individual variation of 18.3% and inter-individual variation of 25.6%. Significant correlations were observed between serum TRAP activity and Ca (r=-0.3431; P<0.05), Ca and Mg (r=-0.787; P<0.01), and TRAP and Mg (r=0.397; P<0.05). The results indicate that serum TRAP activity in dog could be of great value in research and in clinical practice, providing complementary non-invasive information on bone metabolism.