Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cystatin C levels in cats with FIV infection and hyperthyroidism
By Ghys, Liesbeth F E et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2016·Department of Medicine and Clinical Biology of Small Animals·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Serum and urinary cystatin C in cats with feline immunodeficiency virus infection and cats with hyperthyroidism.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with hyperthyroidism showed higher levels of a protein called cystatin C in their blood and urine compared to healthy cats, which may indicate kidney issues. In contrast, cats infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) did not have elevated cystatin C levels, but they did show signs of kidney problems. This suggests that while hyperthyroidism can affect kidney function, FIV may not have the same impact. More research is needed to understand how these findings could help diagnose kidney issues in cats.
People also search for: cat hyperthyroidism symptoms · cat kidney problems FIV · cystatin C test in cats
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate serum cystatin C (sCysC) and urinary cystatin C (uCysC) in cats with hyperthyroidism and cats with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). METHODS: Thirty cats with FIV, 26 hyperthyroid cats and 28 healthy cats were included. sCysC and uCysC:creatinine (uCysC/uCr) ratio were measured with a human particle-enhanced nephelometric immunoassay, previously validated for feline CysC measurement. Routine renal variables (serum creatinine [sCr], urine specific gravity, urinary protein:creatinine ratio [UPC]) were also measured in the three groups. RESULTS: Cats with hyperthyroidism had significantly higher sCysC and higher uCysC/uCr ratio, lower sCr and a higher UPC than healthy cats. Cats with FIV infection did not show a significantly higher sCysC concentration but had a significantly higher sCr and UPC than healthy cats. uCysC could be detected in only four of them. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: This study demonstrated that sCysC is increased in cats with hyperthyroidism, in contrast with sCr, but not in cats with FIV. Many hyperthyroid cats, but only four cats with FIV, had an elevated uCysC/uCr ratio. Further studies may reveal if uCysC might be a valuable marker for tubular dysfunction in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26101237/