Urinary Cystatin B as a marker of acute kidney injury in cats.

Diagnosing acute kidney injury (AKI) might be challenging due to lack of sensitive early markers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic utility of the urinary biomarker Cystatin B (uCysB) in cats with AKI. Seventy-six client-owned cats were included.

Differentiation of stable kidney function versus progressive dysfunction in dogs.

Background: Circulating creatinine and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) are biomarkers of kidney function that have been used variously to define stable vs progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD). Slope monitoring of inverse biomarker values (creatinine or SDMA ) has shown promise, but quantitative criteria to distinguish stable vs progressive CKD using this approach are lacking.

Objective: Assessment of creatinine and SDMA slope cutoffs to distinguish stable vs progressive CKD.

Urinary cystatin B differentiates progressive versus stable IRIS Stage 1 chronic kidney disease in dogs.

Background: Early identification of dogs with progressive vs stable chronic kidney disease (CKD) might afford opportunity for interventions that would slow progression. However, currently no surrogate biomarker reliably predicts CKD progression.

Hypothesis/objectives: Urinary cystatin B (uCysB), a novel kidney injury biomarker, predicts progressive disease in International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) CKD Stage 1.

Prospective evaluation of novel biomarkers of acute kidney injury in dogs following cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass.

Objective: To assess the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in dogs undergoing cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and explore associations between traditional and novel serum and urinary biomarkers.

Design: Prospective cohort study conducted between July 2018 and April 2019.

Setting: University teaching hospital.

The impact of periodontal disease and dental cleaning procedures on serum and urine kidney biomarkers in dogs and cats.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the benefits and inherent risks of dental cleaning procedures, based on serum and urine biomarkers for kidney function and tissue damage, in dogs and cats. Thirty-one asymptomatic, mostly older dogs (14 neutered male and 17 ovariohysterectomized female dogs of various breeds between 3 and 14 years old) and cats (19 neutered male and 12 ovariohysterectomized female domestic short hair cats between 2 and 16 years old) diagnosed with periodontal disease on physical exam, and recommended by their veterinarian to have dental cleaning under general anesthesia were evaluated in a prospective study. Serum and urine samples were collected from dogs and cats 1 week before, 6 hours after, and again 1 week after the dental cleaning procedure.

Comparison of IDEXX SediVue Dx urine sediment analyzer to manual microscopy for detection of casts in canine urine.

Background: Detection of urinary casts is difficult due to their intermittent presence and deterioration in urine samples.

Objective: To compare the performance of the IDEXX SediVue Dx Urine Sediment Analyzer (SediVue) with manual microscopy for the detection of urinary casts. We hypothesized that the SediVue analyzer would perform similarly to manual microscopy in cast detection.

Effects of low-dose meloxicam in cats with chronic kidney disease.

Objectives: Meloxicam therapy may benefit cats with degenerative joint disease, and retrospective studies suggest it could slow kidney disease progression and increase survival. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the renal effects of low-dose meloxicam treatment (0.02 mg/kg/day) over 6 months in cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Serum concentrations of symmetric dimethylarginine and creatinine in cats with kidney stones.

Serum concentrations of symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) correlate with renal function in cats and SDMA has been shown to be a more reliable and earlier marker for chronic kidney disease (CKD) compared with serum creatinine (Cr). Calcium oxalate uroliths tend to develop in mid-to-older aged cats and kidney stones may cause a reduction in renal function with increased SDMA, but normal serum Cr. The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine if cats with kidney stones had increased serum SDMA concentrations, and whether SDMA increased earlier than serum creatinine concentrations.

Kidney Disease and the Nexus of Chronic Kidney Disease and Acute Kidney Injury: The Role of Novel Biomarkers as Early and Accurate Diagnostics.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and acute kidney injury (AKI) are interconnected and the presence of one is a risk for the other. CKD is an important predictor of AKI after exposure to nephrotoxic drugs or major surgery, whereas persistent or repetitive injury could result in the progression of CKD. This brings new perspectives to the diagnosis and monitoring of kidney diseases highlighting the need for a panel of kidney-specific biomarkers that reflect functional as well as structural damage and recovery, predict potential risk and provide prognosis.

Positive Impact of Nutritional Interventions on Serum Symmetric Dimethylarginine and Creatinine Concentrations in Client-Owned Geriatric Dogs.

A prospective study was conducted in client-owned geriatric dogs to evaluate the short-term effects of a test food on serum symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) and creatinine (Cr) concentrations. Test food contained functional lipids (fish oil), antioxidants (lipoic acid, vitamins C and E), L-carnitine, botanicals (fruits and vegetables), controlled sodium concentration, and high quality protein sources (high bioavailability and an ideal amino acid composition). Dogs (n = 210) were fed either test food or owner's-choice foods (non-nutritionally controlled cohort).

Positive Impact of Nutritional Interventions on Serum Symmetric Dimethylarginine and Creatinine Concentrations in Client-Owned Geriatric Cats.

A prospective study was conducted in client-owned geriatric cats to evaluate the short- term effects of a test food on serum symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) and creatinine (Cr) concentrations. Test food contained functional lipids (fish oil), antioxidants (vitamins C and E), L-carnitine, botanicals (vegetables), highly bioavailable protein, and amino acid supplements. Cats (n = 80) were fed either test food or owner's-choice foods (non-nutritionally controlled cohort).

Relationship between lean body mass and serum renal biomarkers in healthy dogs.

Background: Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) is an accurate and precise biomarker for estimating glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in humans and cats. Serum creatinine (sCr) also correlates with GFR, but has limitations as a biomarker of renal function because nonrenal factors can influence its concentration.

Hypothesis: Differences in lean body mass (LBM) influence sCr, but not serum SDMA concentrations.

Altered balance of half-reactions in p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase caused by substituting the 2'-carbon of FAD with fluorine.

Apo-p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase was reconstituted using 2'-fluoro-2'-deoxy-arabino-FAD, a synthetic flavin in which the hydroxyl of the 2'-center of the ribityl chain was replaced with fluorine in an inverted configuration. The absorbance spectral changes caused by the binding of either p-hydroxybenzoate (pOHB) or 2,4-dihydroxybenzoate (2,4-diOHB) indicated that the isoalloxazine of the artificial flavin adopts the more solvent-exposed "out" conformation rather than the partially buried "in" conformation near the aromatic substrate. In contrast, the flavin of the natural enzyme adopts the in conformation when pOHB is bound.