Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How blood tests help diagnose pancreatitis in lethargic anorexic cats
By Krasztel, Magdalena Maria et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2022·Institute of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Accuracy of acute-phase proteins in identifying lethargic and anorectic cats with increased serum feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 52 cats showing signs of lethargy and not eating were tested for a condition called pancreatitis, which can be serious. The tests measured a specific enzyme (feline pancreatic lipase) to see how likely they were to have this condition. Researchers found that certain proteins in the blood, particularly serum amyloid A (SAA), could help indicate which cats were at higher risk for pancreatitis, but the accuracy was only moderate. While SAA levels were higher in cats with increased enzyme levels, it wasn't a perfect test. The findings suggest that while SAA can provide some information, it should be used alongside other tests for a clearer picture.
People also search for: cat lethargy and not eating · pancreatitis in cats symptoms · feline pancreatic lipase test results
Abstract
The mainstay of laboratory diagnostics of feline pancreatitis (FP) is measuring serum feline pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (fPLI). Thus far, several studies have investigated the relationship between acute-phase proteins (APPs) and the presence and severity of FP. Although changes in serum amyloid A (SAA) concentration have been linked with FP, its diagnostic accuracy remains unknown. We aimed to determine the accuracy of selected APPs in identifying cats with a high risk of FP based on increased fPLI. Serum fPLI was measured in cats (n = 52) that were presented to veterinary clinics with signs of lethargy and anorexia. The cats were divided into two groups (fPLI ≤3.5 μg/L; n = 27 and fPLI >3.5 μg/L, n = 25), corresponding to low and high risks of FP. Serum albumin, globulin, haptoglobin (Hp), and SAA concentrations, as well as the albumin-to-globulin ratio (A/G) and SAA-to-albumin (SAA/A) ratios, were determined and compared between groups. The accuracy of these measurements was examined using a multivariable logistic regression model and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. SAA concentrations and SAA/A ratios were significantly (P = .026 and P = .022) higher in cats with increased fPLI, with the area under ROC curve (AUROC) of 68.1% (CI 95%: 53.4%, 82.9%) and 68.6% (CI 95%: 54.0%, 83.2%), respectively. The logistic regression model combining SAA and A/G had AUROC of 75.2% (CI 95%: 62.0%, 88.4%) for identifying cats with increased fPLI. SAA as a sole analyte or combined with A/G had low to moderate accuracy in identifying anorexic, lethargic cats with increased fPLI. Serum albumin, globulin, and Hp concentrations had no discriminatory potential in these cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35146787/