Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Using reticulocyte hemoglobin to diagnose iron problems in cats
By Keiner, Miriam et al.·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2020·Small Animal Clinic, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of reticulocyte hemoglobin content (RETIC-HGB) for the diagnosis of iron-limited erythropoiesis in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 275 cats was tested for iron-limited erythropoiesis (ILE), a condition where the body doesn't produce enough red blood cells due to low iron. The researchers found that cats with ILE had lower levels of a specific marker called RETIC-HGB compared to healthy cats. While this marker can help identify ILE, it wasn't very sensitive, meaning it might miss some cases. The study suggests that while RETIC-HGB can be useful, it should be used alongside other tests for a more accurate diagnosis.
People also search for: cat anemia symptoms · iron deficiency in cats · RETIC-HGB test for cats
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Decreased reticulocyte hemoglobin content (CHr) (Siemens ADVIA 2120) reflects iron-limited erythropoiesis (ILE). RETIC-HGB (IDEXX ProCyte Dx) is a novel marker of ILE for veterinary use. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate reference intervals (RIs) and the utility of RETIC-HGB and CHr in the diagnosis of feline ILE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: RIs were established in 59 healthy cats. Intra-assay coefficients of variation (CVs) and correlations between RETIC-HGB and CHr were assessed. Two hundred and seventy-five cats were classified as having ILE or not based on low plasma iron or low transferrin saturation along with anemia and/or altered RBC indices. CHr, RETIC-HGB, and serum amyloid A (SAA) were compared between the groups. The sensitivity and specificity of RETIC-HGB and CHr to diagnose ILE were analyzed to determine the RI lower limits. RESULTS: RIs for RETIC-HGB and CHr were 12.5-18.0 and 14.0-19.9 pg, respectively. The CV was 3% for both variables. RETIC-HGB and CHr were moderately correlated (r = 0.59) with a bias of -1.2 picograms (pgs). Twenty of the 275 cats were classified as having ILE. Compared with non-ILE cats, ILE cats had significantly lower median RETIC-HGB (14.3 vs 15.2 pg, P = .0046) and mean CHr (14.7 vs 16.5 pg, P < .0001) values and significantly increased median SAA (44.6 vs 2.3 µg/dl, P < .0001) values. Using the lower RI limits resulted in a low sensitivity and relatively high specificity to diagnose ILE in cats. CONCLUSIONS: ILE was characterized by decreased CHr and RETIC-HGB; however, sensitivity was low. The moderate correlation between RETIC-HGB and CHr is likely due to species differences and different methodology.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33617045/