Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Measuring alpha-1 acid glycoprotein in cat fluid to help diagnose FIP
By Pierpaolo Romanelli et al.·Published in Pathogens·2024·MYLAV Veterinary Laboratory, 20017 Passirana di Rho, Italy, CH·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Measurement of Feline Alpha-1 Acid Glycoprotein in Serum and Effusion Using an ELISA Method: Analytical Validation and Diagnostic Role for Feline Infectious Peritonitis
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) had their blood and fluid samples tested for a protein called alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) to see if it could help diagnose the disease. The results showed that cats with FIP had much higher levels of AGP compared to cats with other health issues. The new testing method was found to be both precise and accurate, making it a helpful tool for veterinarians to distinguish FIP from other conditions. This could lead to quicker and more reliable diagnoses for affected cats.
People also search for: cat FIP symptoms · feline infectious peritonitis test · high AGP levels in cats
Abstract
Background: Alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) may support a clinical diagnosis of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). In this study, we assessed the analytical and diagnostic performances of a novel ELISA method to measure feline AGP. Methods: AGP was measured in sera and effusions from cats with FIP (n = 20) or with other diseases (n = 15). Precision was calculated based on the coefficient of variation (CV) of repeated testing, and accuracy was calculated by linearity under dilution (LUD). Results: The test is precise (intra-assay CVs: <6.0% in individual samples, <15.0% in pooled samples; inter-assay CVs <11.0% and <15.0%) and accurate (serum LUD r<sup>2</sup>: 0.995; effusion LUD r<sup>2</sup>: 0.950) in serum and in effusions. AGP is higher in cats with FIP than in other cats in both serum (median: 1968, I-III interquartile range: 1216–3371 μg/mL and 296, 246–1963 μg/mL; <i>p</i> = 0.009) and effusion (1717, 1011–2379 μg/mL and 233, 165–566 μg/mL; <i>p</i> < 0.001). AGP discriminates FIP from other diseases (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: serum, 0.760; effusion, 0.877), and its likelihood ratio is high (serum: 8.50 if AGP > 1590 μg/mL; effusion: 3.75 if AGP > 3780 μg/mL). Conclusion: This ELISA method is precise and accurate. AGP in serum and in effusions is a useful diagnostic marker for FIP.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13040289