1. Investigation of an N-Terminal Prohormone of Brain Natriuretic Peptide Point-of-Care ELISA in Clinically Normal Cats and Cats With Cardiac Disease.
- Author
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Harris, A.N., Beatty, S.S., Estrada, A.H., Winter, B., Bohannon, M., Sosa, I., Hanscom, J., Mainville, C.A., and Gallagher, A.E.
- Subjects
HEART disease diagnosis ,CAT diseases ,BRAIN natriuretic factor ,ENZYME-linked immunosorbent assay ,N-terminal residues ,POINT-of-care testing ,VETERINARY diagnosis - Abstract
Background: N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentrations may be increased in cats with various cardiac disorders. The point-of-care (POC) ELISA assay uses the same biologic reagents as the quantitative NT-proBNP ELISA. Previous studies have evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of the POC ELISA in cats with cardiac disease. Objectives: To prospectively evaluate the diagnostic utility of the POC ELISA in a select population of cats. Animals: Thirty-eight client-owned cats presented to the University of Florida Cardiology Service for cardiac evaluation. Fifteen apparently healthy cats recruited as part of another study. Methods: Physical examination and echocardiography were performed in all cats. The POC ELISA was assessed visually as either positive or negative by a reader blinded to the echocardiographic findings, and results were analyzed relative to quantitative assay results. Results: Twenty-six cats were diagnosed with underlying cardiac disease, and 27 cats were considered free of cardiac disease. Cats with cardiac disease included: 21 with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, 2 with unclassified cardiomyopathy, 2 with restrictive cardiomyopathy, and 1 with 3rd degree atrioventricular (AV) block. The POC ELISA differentiated cats with cardiac disease with a sensitivity of 65.4% and specificity of 100%. Conclusions and Clinical Importance The POC NT-proBNP ELISA performed moderately well in a selected population of cats. A negative test result cannot exclude the presence of underlying cardiac disease, and a positive test result indicates that cardiac disease likely is present, but further diagnostic investigation would be indicated for a definitive diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
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