Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hepcidin levels linked to anemia and kidney disease in cats
By Spencer, Sarah et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2026·Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Association between PCV and degree of azotemia with serum hepcidin concentration in cats with chronic kidney disease.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 100 cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) were studied to understand the relationship between a protein called hepcidin and anemia, a common issue in these cats. The research found that cats with anemia had higher levels of hepcidin compared to those with normal or slightly low red blood cell counts. This suggests that once anemia develops in CKD cats, hepcidin levels increase, potentially due to kidney dysfunction affecting its removal from the body. However, other factors may also play a role in hepcidin levels that weren't explored in this study.
People also search for: cat chronic kidney disease symptoms · cat anemia treatment · high hepcidin levels in cats
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats is common and often leads to anemia. Hepcidin, an acute-phase protein and regulator of iron metabolism, is a potential biomarker for CKD-associated anemia. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To validate a hepcidin-25 ELISA for cats. To compare serum hepcidin concentrations in cats with CKD grouped by PCV, and explore associations between hepcidin and other clinicopathological variables. ANIMALS: One hundred client-owned cats with naturally occurring CKD. METHODS: Retrospective cross-sectional study. Cats with azotemic CKD were categorized by PCV: anemic (<28%), low-normal (LN-PCV, 28%-33%), or normal PCV (N-PCV, 35%-43%). LN-PCV and N-PCV groups were matched for plasma creatinine concentration, age, bodyweight, body and muscle condition scores. Associations between serum hepcidin concentrations, serum amyloid A (SAA), and clinicopathological variables were evaluated. Multiple regression analysis identified independent associations with hepcidin. RESULTS: The hepcidin-25 ELISA demonstrated acceptable precision, reproducibility, and specificity. Hepcidin was higher in anemic cats (median [range], 3.1 ng/mL [1.17-6.58]) compared to LN-PCV (2.21 ng/mL [1.24-6.94]) and N-PCV cats (2.29 ng/mL [1.41-7.72) (P = .007), with no difference between the latter two groups (P > .99). Hepcidin was weakly positively correlated with plasma creatinine (r = 0.265, P = .008) and plasma phosphate (r = 0.214, P = .034); no significant correlations were observed between hepcidin and PCV, SAA, or other clinicopathological variables. Plasma creatinine alone was associated with hepcidin in multivariable analysis, explaining <15% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Serum hepcidin concentration is higher in cats with CKD once anemia is established. Its association with plasma creatinine suggests kidney dysfunction influences its excretion, although additional factors not assessed in this study likely contribute.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41742492/