atrial-natriuretic-factor and Cat-Diseases

Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels have been reported to be elevated in cats with cardiomyopathy. We investigated the diagnostic accuracy of plasma ANP concentration as an indicator of the severity of cardiomyopathies.. This study included 78 control cats and 83 cats with various types of cardiomyopathy.. This was a prospective multicentre study. Control cats were determined to have a normal heart, and diseased cats were diagnosed by echocardiography. Diseased cats were divided into asymptomatic cats without left atrial dilation (LAD), asymptomatic cats with LAD, and cats with heart failure. Plasma C-terminal ANP concentrations were measured using chemiluminescence.. The median plasma ANP concentration in controls was 43.3 (interquartile range, 33.0-56.3) pg/mL. Plasma ANP values were significantly higher in the cardiomyopathic cats with LAD and heart failure, but the values in cats without LAD were comparable to those in control cats. To distinguish cats with cardiomyopathy from controls, a plasma ANP concentration >77.5 pg/mL afforded sensitivity of 66.3% and specificity of 84.6%. Use of plasma ANP concentration >110.9 pg/mL to identify cats with LAD had a sensitivity of 73.6% and specificity of 93.5%. The areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curve were 0.80 and 0.86.. Plasma ANP concentrations were higher in cats with more advanced cardiomyopathy. Although assaying the ANP concentration alone may not help to diagnose cardiac disease, measuring provides additional information that is useful for assessing the severity of cardiomyopathies.

Topics: Animals; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Cardiomyopathies; Cat Diseases; Cats; Echocardiography; Female; Heart Atria; Heart Failure; Male; Prospective Studies; Sensitivity and Specificity

In the absence of ocular target organ damage (ocular-TOD), diagnosis of hypertension is challenging in cats. Biomarkers would provide additional support for the diagnosis of hypertension.. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), and urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPC) are predictors of systemic hypertension, will be increased in cats with hypertension with or without ocular-TOD, and will decrease with antihypertensive treatment.. Plasma VEGF, NT-proBNP, and cTnI concentrations and UPC were determined in healthy geriatric cats, normotensive cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD), hypertensive cats with evidence of hypertensive retinopathy (HT-ocular-TOD), and hypertensive cats without hypertensive ocular-TOD (HT-noTOD). Comparisons among groups were performed. Multivariable binary logistic regression models were built to identify independent biomarkers of hypertension and ocular-TOD. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to assess clinical use.. Cats with HT-ocular-TOD had significantly higher VEGF than all other groups (P < .05) and significantly higher NT-proBNP than healthy cats (P < .001). Healthy cats had significantly lower cTnI than all other groups (P < .05). No differences were found among groups for UPC (P = .08). Cardiac troponin I and VEGF were independent predictors of hypertension (P < .05), but none of the biomarkers were independent predictors of ocular-TOD. N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide concentrations decreased with antihypertensive treatment (P < .001). The ROC curves indicated that none of the biomarkers met the criteria to function as diagnostic tests for the diagnosis of hypertension or associated ocular-TOD.. Despite statistical significance and changes with ocular-TOD, antihypertensive treatment, or both, VEGF, NT-proBNP, and cTnI did not function as useful diagnostic tests for hypertension. Persistently increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) measurements in combination with fundoscopy remains the preferred method for diagnosis of feline hypertension.

Topics: Animals; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Biomarkers; Cat Diseases; Cats; Hypertension; Hypertensive Retinopathy; Predictive Value of Tests; Protein Precursors; Retrospective Studies; Troponin I; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

OBJECTIVE To investigate the in vitro stability of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in plasma samples under various storage conditions and the influence of anesthesia on plasma ANP concentration in cats. ANIMALS 1 cat with congestive heart failure and 5 healthy adult mixed-breed cats. PROCEDURES A plasma sample from the cat with heart failure was serially diluted, and dilutional parallelism of ANP concentration was evaluated. Plasma samples containing aprotinin or serum samples from the 5 healthy cats were kept at room temperature (27°C) for ≤ 12 hours. Plasma samples from the same healthy cats were stored at -70°, -20°, or 4°C for ≤ 14 days. Plasma samples were obtained from the healthy cats before and during isoflurane anesthesia. Plasma ANP concentrations were measured at a commercial laboratory by use of a human ANP chemiluminescence assay. RESULTS Intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were 1.5% and 2.5%, respectively, and dilutional parallelism was established. Although ANP concentration decreased by 82.4 ± 13.6% (mean ± SD) after sample storage for 12 hours at room temperature, this decrease was prevented by aprotinin. Plasma ANP concentrations were stable for 7 days at -20°C and for 14 days at -70°C. However, concentrations decreased markedly to 57.6 ± 6.9% at -20°C and to 18.0 ± 3.0% at 4°C after 14 days. Plasma ANP concentration decreased significantly in cats during anesthesia and was correlated with blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that aprotinin should be added routinely in preparation of plasma samples from cats for measurement of ANP concentration, and those samples, if stored, should be frozen immediately at ≤ -20°C. General anesthesia or systemic blood pressure may affect plasma ANP concentration in cats.

Topics: Anesthesia; Anesthetics, Inhalation; Animals; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Blood Pressure; Case-Control Studies; Cat Diseases; Cats; Drug Stability; Female; Heart Failure; Hemodynamics; Isoflurane; Male; Temperature

The aim of this study was to determine if atrial natriuretic peptide can be used as an early screening tool for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in Maine coon cats.. The study was performed in 43 Maine coon cats of both sexes, aged 11 to 92 months. Clinical and echocardiographic examinations were done and proANP serum concentrations were measured every three months over a period of one year (each cat had a total of five examinations). Cats were divided into 3 groups based on echocardiographic results: group 1 - healthy cats, group 2 - cats with unequivocal hypertrophic cardiomyopathy results, group 3 - cats with HCM. The study showed that the concentration of atrial natriuretic peptide correlates with the severity of HCM. A significant increase in serum concentration of this peptide was observed in cats from group 3, but it did not differ significantly between cats from group 2 and the healthy animals (p>0.05). A correlation was also found between proANP and age of the cats (p<0.01, r=0.5578) as well as between the ejection fraction (p=0.0285, r=0.5305) and end-systolic left ventricular diameter (p=0.05, r=0.48) in the affected animals. Atrial natriuretic peptide may be used to help in the diagnosis of advanced stages of HCM in Maine coon cats. Cats with high levels of proANP should be assigned to echocardiographic studies to confirm the disease.

Topics: Animals; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Biomarkers; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic; Cat Diseases; Cats; Genetic Predisposition to Disease

To determine whether plasma N-terminal proatrial natriuretic peptide (NT-proANP) concentration could predict the outcome (survival duration) of cats with cardiomyopathy (CM).. Case-control study.. 51 cats with CM (25 with and 26 without congestive heart failure [CHF]) and 17 healthy cats.. Cats were thoroughly examined and assigned to 1 of 3 groups (control, CM with CHF, and CM alone). Plasma NT-proANP concentrations were measured by use of a human proANP(1-98) ELISA. Survival durations were compared between CM groups.. Plasma NT-proANP concentrations differed significantly among the 3 groups, and survival durations differed significantly between the 2 CM groups. Median (range) NT-proANP concentration was 413 fmol/mL (52 to 940 fmol/mL) in the control group, 1,254 fmol/mL (167 to 2,818 fmol/mL) in the CM alone group, and 3,208 fmol/mL (1,189 to 15,462 fmol/mL) in the CM with CHF group. At a cutoff of 517 fmol/mL, NT-proANP concentration had a sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 82% for detecting CM. Multivariate analysis revealed that only the variable left atrium-to-aortic diameter ratio was a significant predictor of survival duration.. Plasma NT-proANP concentration may have potential as a testing marker for distinguishing healthy cats from cats with CM. It may also be useful for distinguishing CM cats with CHF from those without CHF The value of NT-proANP concentration as a predictor of survival duration was not supported in this study and requires further evaluation.

Topics: Animals; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Biomarkers; Cardiomyopathies; Case-Control Studies; Cat Diseases; Cats; Female; Heart Failure; Male; Protein Precursors

To determine whether plasma N-terminal proatrial natriuretic peptide (Nt-proANP) concentrations in cats with cardiomyopathy (CM) differ from values in healthy cats and evaluate whether plasma Nt-proANP concentrations can be used to discriminate cats with CM and congestive heart failure (CHF) from CM-affected cats without CHF.. 16 cats that had CM without CHF, 16 cats that had CM with CHF, and 11 healthy control cats.. All cats underwent a physical examination, assessment of clinicopathologic variables (including plasma thyroxine concentration), thoracic radiography, and echocardiography. On the basis of findings, cats were assigned to 1 of 3 groups (control cats, cats with CM and CHF, and cats with CM without CHF). Venous blood samples were obtained from all 43 cats, and plasma Nt-proANP concentrations were measured by use of a human proANP(1-98) ELISA.. Plasma Nt-proANP concentrations differed significantly among the 3 groups. Median Nt-proANP concentration was 381 fmol/mL (range, 52 to 450 fmol/mL), 763 fmol/mL (range, 167 to 2,386 fmol/mL), and 2,443 fmol/mL (range, 1,189 to 15,462 fmol/mL) in the control group, in cats with CM without CHF, and in cats with CM and CHF, respectively.. Measurement of plasma Nt-proANP concentration could be of benefit in the assessment of cats with naturally occurring CM and might have potential as a screening marker for the disease. Furthermore, measurement of plasma NtproANP concentration may be useful for distinguishing cats with CM and CHF from those with CM and no CHF.

Topics: Animals; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Cardiomyopathies; Cat Diseases; Cats; Echocardiography; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Heart Failure; Protein Precursors; Radiography, Thoracic

To determine if serum natriuretic peptide (NP) concentrations could distinguish cardiac from non-cardiac causes of respiratory distress (RD) in cats.. Seventy-four cats from 1 university hospital were used.. Serum NP concentrations were measured in 41 cats with non-cardiac respiratory distress (RD-NC) and compared to 33 cats with RD due to congestive heart failure (RD+CHF) using sandwich enzyme immunoassays (ELISA).. RD-NC cats had lower (P=0.0001) median NT-proANP and NT-proBNP concentrations (614 and 45 fmol/mL, respectively) than RD+CHF cats (1690 and 523 fmol/mL, respectively). The area under the curve was 0.88 and 0.96 for the receiver operating curve analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of NT-proANP and NT-proBNP concentrations to discriminate RD+CHF from RD-NC cats (P=0.036). An optimum cut-off concentration of 986 fmol/mL for NT-proANP and 220 fmol/mL for NT-proBNP accurately discriminated RD-NC from RC+CHF cats with a sensitivity of 93.8% and 93.9% and a specificity of 80.3% and 87.8%, respectively.. Serum NP concentrations were different in RD+CHF cats compared to RD-NC cats. Evaluation of circulating NP concentrations may be helpful in the initial approach to cats presenting with respiratory distress, particularly if advances in ELISA technology result in a rapid cage-side test.

Topics: Animals; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Biomarkers; Case-Control Studies; Cat Diseases; Cats; Confidence Intervals; Diagnosis, Differential; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Female; Heart Failure; Male; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Protein Precursors; Respiration Disorders; ROC Curve; Sensitivity and Specificity

To determine if natriuretic peptide concentrations are increased in cats with systemic hypertension and/or chronic kidney disease (CKD).. 22 normal cats, 13 normotensive cats with mild-moderate CKD (NT-CKD), 15 hypertensive cats with mild-moderate CKD (HT-CKD) and 8 normotensive cats with severe CKD (NT-CKD-severe).. N-terminal pro-B-type (NT-proBNP) and pro-A-type (NT-proANP) natriuretic peptides were measured in plasma samples from all cats using commercially available assays and concentrations in the normal and diseased groups compared using non-parametric statistical tests. Spearman's rank correlation was used to test for an association between natriuretic peptide and creatinine concentrations.. NT-proANP was significantly higher in the NT-CKD-severe than the normal group of cats (P=0.006) but there were no other differences between groups. NT-proBNP concentrations were significantly higher in the HT-CKD group than both the normal (P<0.001) and the NT-CKD (P<0.001) groups. NT-proBNP concentrations were also higher in the NT-CKD-severe (P<0.001) and the NT-CKD (P=0.005) groups than the normal group. NT-proANP but not NT-proBNP was significantly and positively associated with plasma creatinine concentration.. Measurement of NT-proBNP shows promise as a diagnostic marker for systemic hypertension in the cat. Its concentration is not significantly increased in cats with mild-moderate normotensive CKD.

Topics: Animals; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Biomarkers; Case-Control Studies; Cat Diseases; Cats; Creatinine; Female; Hypertension; Kidney Diseases; Male; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; Peptide Fragments; Protein Precursors; ROC Curve; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severity of Illness Index; Statistics, Nonparametric

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) are cardiac hormones involved in electrolyte and fluid homeostasis. Our laboratory has investigated the use of ANP and BNP as diagnostic markers of cardiac disease in cats. We hypothesize that the cardiac distribution of ANP and BNP increases in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Accordingly, we evaluated the immunohistochemical distribution of ANP and BNP in hearts of four cats with naturally occurring HCM relative to five healthy controls. Indirect immunoperoxidase was performed with polyclonal immunoglobulin G against feline ANP (1-28) and proBNP (43-56). In control cats, ANP and BNP immunoreactivity was restricted to the atria. Staining for both peptides was most intense adjacent to the endocardial surface. Auricles stained more diffusely than atria for both peptides. The interstitial capillaries and nerve fibers within the heart were positive only for BNP. Atrial immunoreactivity for ANP and BNP was more diffuse and had a less distinctly layered pattern in HCM than in control cats. Ventricular cardiomyocytes of HCM cats were negative for ANP but stained lightly and diffusely for BNP. The capillaries and nerve fibers remained positive for BNP. We conclude that in cats with HCM, the cardiac distribution of ANP and BNP is more diffuse in the atria and that novel expression of BNP in the ventricular cardiomyocytes occurs.

Topics: Animals; Atrial Natriuretic Factor; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic; Cat Diseases; Cats; Heart Atria; Heart Ventricles; Immunohistochemistry; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain