Blood test changes in 93 cats with liver and bile diseases

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study aims to assess hepatic clinicopathological changes in cats with different hepatobiliary diseases and to assess whether specific serum biochemistry changes can help differentiate these diseases.MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on serum biochemistry data from 93 cats with hepatobiliary diseases and 80 control cats. Of the 93 cats with definitive diagnoses of hepatobiliary diseases, 22 had cholangitis, 14 had hepatic lipidosis, 18 had primary hepatic neoplasia confirmed via Tru-cut or laparotomic wedge biopsy and 39 had congenital portosystemic shunting (CPSS) confirmed by abdominal ultrasound. The biomarkers analysed were alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl-transferase (GGT), total bilirubin and albumin.ResultsCats with hepatobiliary disease had significantly higher enzyme activities, total bilirubin concentrations and lower albumin concentrations compared with controls (<0.01). Comparison between diseases showed that there were no differences in hepatobiliary biomarkers between cholangitis and neoplasia, despite cholangitis being an abnormality of bile ductules and neoplasia affecting hepatic parenchymal cells. GGT activities in cats with hepatic lipidosis showed no difference compared with controls. A significant increase in ALP activity was observed in CPSS cases (<0.01); however, this difference disappeared when the analysis was restricted to age-matched controls.Conclusions and relevanceThis study provides the most recent corroboration of previous findings on clinical pathology changes in feline hepatobiliary disease, supporting research conducted over a decade ago with new data from a different geographical location. For example, the observation that a significant increase in ALP without an increase in GGT is highly suggestive of hepatic lipidosis, aligning with findings from a 1993 study conducted in North America. In addition, this study reinforced the importance of serum biochemistry as a useful tool in differentiating cats with hepatobiliary disease from those without; however, it also reaffirmed previous conclusions that serum biochemistry alone is insufficient for a definitive diagnosis, which instead must be based on a combination of patient history, clinical signs and ancillary diagnostic tests, such as ultrasound and tissue biopsy.