Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Accurate blood test for thyroid hormone in older cats
By Williams, Tim L & Archer, Joy·Published in Veterinary clinical pathology·2016·Department of Veterinary Medicine, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Validation of an automated enzyme immunoassay for the measurement of serum total thyroxine in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that an automated test for measuring thyroid hormone levels (total thyroxine or TT4) in older cats is both quick and reliable. Hyperthyroidism is a common issue in cats over 9 years old, so having an efficient way to check thyroid levels is important. The new test was compared to existing methods and showed good accuracy, making it a useful tool for veterinarians. This means that if your older cat is showing signs of hyperthyroidism, like increased thirst or weight loss, your vet can use this new test to help diagnose the condition more easily.
People also search for: cat hyperthyroidism symptoms · how to test cat thyroid levels · best test for cat thyroid disease
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Hyperthyroidism is common in older cats, which necessitates frequent screening of serum total thyroxine (TT4) concentrations. Fast, cheap, and reliable methods to measure TT4 in cats are needed. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was the validation of a human TT4 enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for use with feline serum, and derivation of a TT4 reference interval (RI) for cats aged 9 years and older. METHODS: Assay precision, reproducibility, and linearity were evaluated. Interference by hemolysis was also assessed. Method comparison studies between the human EIA and a previously validated radioimmunoassay (RIA) and chemiluminescent-enzyme immunoassay (CEIA) were performed. Healthy cats (> 9 years) were recruited from 3 UK first opinion practices. RESULTS: The human TT4 EIA demonstrated good precision and reproducibility, and adequate linearity. Hemolysis did not significantly alter measured TT4 concentrations until HGB > 8 g/L. Method comparison revealed proportional and constant errors between EIA and RIA/CEIA. The TT4 RI for cats (> 9 years) was calculated as 7.1-45.1 nmol/L (n = 49). CONCLUSIONS: The human TT4 EIA was successfully validated for use with feline serum and offers a rapid, cheap, and reliable method for determination of serum TT4 concentrations in cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26840919/