Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blood test changes and biomarkers in cats with fatty liver disease
By Xingbo Wang et al.·Published in Scientific Reports·2025·College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, GB·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Metabolomic profiling of serum alterations and biomarker discovery in feline hepatic liposis
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with liver problems, specifically feline hepatic lipidosis (FHL), had their blood tested to find a reliable way to diagnose the condition. Researchers discovered that a specific substance in the blood called 2-hydroxybutyric acid (2-HB) was present at high levels in cats with FHL. When the 2-HB level was over 564.8 ng/L, it accurately indicated FHL with no false positives. This finding could help veterinarians diagnose FHL more effectively in cats, leading to better treatment options and outcomes for affected pets.
People also search for: cat liver disease symptoms · feline hepatic lipidosis diagnosis · high 2-HB levels in cats
Abstract
Abstract Feline hepatic lipidosis (FHL) is a common liver dysfunction caused by metabolic disorders. The objective was to evaluate the metabolic alteration in the cats of FHL and to identify biomarkers that can serve as biomarker for FHL. Differential metabolites in the serum of spontaneous FHL cats (FS, n = 12) and healthy cats (CS group, n = 12) were analyzed using GC/MS metabolomics. Differential metabolites with diagnostic significance were identified through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The expression level of the differential metabolite 2-hydroxybutyric acid (2-HB) was detected in the serum of the FS and CS groups, and biomarker were established. The biomarker efficacy of 2-HB for FHL was verified using serum samples from cats with FHL caused by different etiologies (F, n = 10) and healthy cats (C, n = 50). There were 13 significantly different metabolites between the CS and FS groups (VIP > 1, P < 0.05) with the area under the ROC curve (AUC) greater than 0.70. The AUC for serum 2-HB was 0.90 (95% confidence interval 0.767–1.000, P < 0.001), with an optimal critical value of 564.8 ng/L. By randomly detecting serum 2-HB in groups F and C (the optimal cut-off value is 564.8 ng/L), the detection rate for FHL diagnosis was 100% and the false positive rate was 0%. In cats with FHL, metabolic changes occur in amino acids, nucleotide sugars, glycerophospholipids, phenylalanine, galactose, alpha-linolenic acid, and glycerides. A serum 2-HB level greater than 564.8 ng/L serves as a biomarker for FHL.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-91770-x