Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Urine and blood markers linked to kidney disease in cats
By Marques, Patricia L et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2026·Faculty of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Urine and plasma metanephrine concentrations in cats with chronic kidney disease: characterization and correlation with biomarkers of renal function.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 28 cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) showed higher levels of certain substances in their blood compared to healthy cats. These substances, called metanephrines, were linked to kidney function markers, suggesting that the nervous system might be affected in cats with CKD. This means that if your cat has kidney disease, there could be more going on than just the kidneys themselves. Understanding these connections can help veterinarians better manage kidney disease in cats.
People also search for: cat chronic kidney disease symptoms · cat kidney disease treatment · what does metanephrine mean in cats
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The role of the autonomic nervous system in the pathophysiology of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats is currently unknown. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: To describe urine and plasma metanephrines concentration in cats with CKD and their correlation with biomarkers of kidney function. ANIMALS: Fifty-nine cats were recruited and divided into 3 groups: cats with CKD (n = 28), healthy cats (HC) (n = 21), and cats with nonadrenal, non-kidney-related chronic illness (n = 10). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed in cats recruited from a veterinary teaching hospital. Metanephrine and normetanephrine concentrations were measured in urine (U-MN/NMN) and plasma (P-MN/NMN) by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Data were correlated with biomarkers of kidney function measured in the same time-point sample. RESULTS: The CKD group had significantly higher P-NMN (median, 14.20; min-max, 5.65-34.09 nmol/L) than the HC group (7.03; 5.19-13.03 nmol/L). P-MN concentrations correlated with the urinary protein-creatinine ratio (UPCR) (r = 0.528, P = .017). P-NMN correlated with symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) (r = 0.604, P = .006), serum creatinine (r = 0.488, P = .029) and UPCR (r = 0.445, P = .049). U-MN:urine creatinine concentration (UCreat) ratio correlated with UPCR (r = 0.683, P < .001) and urine specific gravity (r = -0.397), P < .001). U-NMN:UCreat ratio correlated with SDMA (r = 0.558, P = .007), serum phosphate (r = 0.561, P = .005) and UPCR (r = 0.494, P = .017). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: There is evidence of sympathetic nervous system dysfunction in cats with CKD.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41742562/