Understanding protein losing enteropathy (PLE)

Protein losing enteropathy (PLE) is not a diagnosis of a specific disease but can be considered a symptom or syndrome of a disease, often gastrointestinal (GI) disease. In this terminology ‘protein’ predominantly refers to albumin and globulins, ‘losing’ expresses their loss, and ‘enteropathy’ refers to disease of the intestine. Therefore, excess proteins are lost through the GI tract (GIT) and will result in low serum protein levels. Although more common in dogs, it can also be presented in cats, with variation in symptoms being mild to severe and life-threatening.

As a result of the complexity and challenges of PLE, patients often require hospitalisation and veterinary nurses may become very involved in the care of such patients. Understanding the syndrome and nursing requirements may improve patient recovery. Definitions to aid understanding of terminology used throughout this article can be seen in Table 1.

In a healthy animal, proteins that enter the GIT are digested into amino acids. These amino acids are then reabsorbed by the GIT. As the building blocks of proteins, they are utilised in the synthesis of proteins essential for homeostasis.