Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Insulin-like growth factor 1 levels in cats with chronic kidney
By Amunategui, J P Rey et al.·Published in Domestic animal endocrinology·2025·Faculty of Veterinary Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of serum insulin-like growth factor 1 concentrations in non-diabetic cats with chronic kidney disease.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 154 non-diabetic cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) had their insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels tested to see if there was a link between kidney function and IGF-1 concentrations. The study found that some cats had high IGF-1 levels, which could indicate a condition similar to hypersomatotropism seen in diabetic cats. Specifically, 5.8% of the cats had IGF-1 levels over 1000 ng/mL, and 11.6% were in a "grey zone" that could also suggest a problem. The findings suggest that as CKD progresses, IGF-1 levels may rise, indicating a potential area for further investigation and monitoring in non-diabetic cats with kidney issues.
People also search for: cat chronic kidney disease symptoms · high IGF-1 in cats · non-diabetic cat kidney disease treatment
Abstract
Feline hypersomatotropism (HST) can develop in both diabetic and non-diabetic cats, but studies evaluating the prevalence of HST in cats without diabetes mellitus (DM) are lacking. The aims of the study were to evaluate circulating insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in non-diabetic cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD), to assess whether there is a correlation between general test of renal function and IGF-1 concentration in cats with CKD, and to screen this population for the presence of HST. In this prospective study, one hundred fifty-four non-diabetic cats (n = 154) with CKD from referral centers in Buenos Aires (Argentina) were evaluated. Serum IGF-1 concentration was measured as part of the routine tests for CKD and compared with a healthy control group of 50 cats without CKD. The median serum IGF-1 concentration in the total population of cats with CKD was 500 ng/mL (range 34-1593 ng/mL). Median serum IGF-1 concentrations of cats with IRIS stage 1 (n = 13), stage 2 (n = 86), stage 3 (n = 40) and stage 4 (n = 15) of CKD were 230 ng/mL (range 58-951 ng/mL), 473 ng/mL (range 34-1456 ng/mL), 597 ng/mL (range 123-1593 ng/mL), 569 ng/mL (range 123-1045 ng/mL), respectively. None of the cats in the control group had IGF-1 concentration >1000 ng/mL (median 505 ng/mL, range 114-720 ng/mL). There was a positive linear correlation between serum IGF-1 and creatinine concentrations in cats with CKD (r= 0.22, 95% confidence interval 0.06-0.37 P=0.005). A proportion of 5.8% (95% confidence interval 2.7-10.8%) of non-diabetic cats with CKD had markedly increased IGF-1 concentrations (cut-off IGF-1 >1000 ng/mL). Pituitary enlargement was detected on computed tomography in 3/4 of these cases. Eighteen cats (11.6%) had serum IGF-1 concentrations in the "grey zone" between 800 and 1000 ng/mL. A small proportion of non-diabetic cats with CKD had an IGF-1 concentration in a range that is consistent with HST in diabetic cats. Likewise, the progression of CKD in cats without DM correlates with increases in serum IGF-1 concentrations.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39637613/