ABSTRACT. Serum amyloid A (SAA) is one of the major acute phase proteins in cats that has potential to be used as an inflammatory marker. A previous study showed that the human SAA turbidimetric immunoassay (hSAA-TIA) could be used to measure the SAA concentration in cats. The objectives of the present study were to assess use of hSAA-TIA for determining the feline SAA concentration and to evaluate its clinical application. Recombinant feline SAA protein (rfSAA) was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified for SDS-PAGE and immunoblot analysis with anti-human SAA antibodies. The concentration of rfSAA was determined by ELISA and hSAA-TIA. Plasma SAA concentrations were measured in healthy and diseased cats by hSAA-TIA. The time-courses changes in the SAA and α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) concentrations in the cats after ovariohysterectomy were investigated. In SDS-PAGE, rfSAA was detected as a clear band that reacted with anti-human SAA antibodies. There was significant correlation between the SAA concentration measured by ELISA and hSAA-TIA. The SAA concentration of the diseased cats (n=263) was significantly increased (P<0.01; 0.0-88.9 mg/l, mean: 7.52 mg/l) compared with that in the healthy cats (n=26; 0.0-0.9 mg/l, mean: 0.14 mg/l). No correlation was observed between SAA and WBC in the diseased cats. The SAA concentration changed more rapidly and remarkably than the AGP concentration after ovariohysterectomy. The present study revealed that hSAA-TIA is useful for determination of the feline SAA concentration. Measurement of the SAA concentration, in addition to the WBC count, would be clinically valuable as a routine test to detect inflammation. KEY WORDS: acute phase protein, α1-acid glycoprotein, feline, serum amyloid A, turbidimetric immunoassay.
The present study was carried
out to analyze the prognosis of 163 cats with lymphoma classified anatomically and
cytomorphologically. Anatomically, alimentary lymphoma was the most common form and showed
significantly shorter survival than mediastinal and nasal lymphomas in cats.
Cytomorphologically, there was no predominant subtype in feline lymphomas. Immunoblastic
type (18%), centroblastic type (16%), globule leukocyte type (15%), lymphocytic type
(12%), lymphoblastic type (12%), pleomorphic medium and large cell type (10%) and
anaplastic large cell type (7%) were relatively common subtypes. Most of the cats with
globule leukocyte lymphoma had the alimentary form. Comparing median survival time among
classifications, cats with globule leukocyte lymphoma showed significantly shorter
survival than those with high-grade and other low-grade lymphomas. Furthermore, cats with
high-grade lymphomas showed significantly shorter survival than cats with other low-grade
lymphomas. The present study indicated the clinical significance of anatomical and
cytomorphological evaluation in feline lymphomas.
Canine pancreatitis is a relatively common disorder, and its mortality rate remains high. However, prognostic factors for pancreatitis based on evidence are
limited. Moreover, the relationship between changes in C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration—an important prognostic factor for human patients with acute
pancreatitis—and the prognosis of dogs with pancreatitis has not been widely studied. Therefore, we examined prognostic factors for canine pancreatitis during
the first medical examination and evaluated the usefulness of serial CRP measurements during hospitalization. Sixty-five dogs met the inclusion criteria,
including 22 that were hospitalized and treated. In Study 1, a multivariate analysis revealed that three factors— decreased platelet count and a marked (greater
than 1,000 µg/l) elevation of specific canine pancreatic lipase (Spec cPL) concentration at the first medical examination, as
well as elevated blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and/or creatinine (CRE) level—were significantly different between the survivors and nonsurvivors. Moreover, CRP
concentrations on the third and fourth days were significantly different between the two groups in Study 2. An evaluation of the decreased platelet count,
remarkable elevation of Spec cPL concentration at the first medical examination, elevation of BUN and/or CRE as well as serial CRP concentration measurements
may be useful for predicting the prognosis of canine pancreatitis.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.