Prognostic potential of copper, zinc, copper/zinc ratio, cobalamin, and serum amyloid A in cats with panleukopenia.

BACKGROUND: Copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and the copper/zinc ratio (Cu/Zn), which have been studied in gastrointestinal disorders of humans, may facilitate disease prognosis.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the predictive potential of Cu, Zn, cobalamin, and serum amyloid A (SAA) as prognostic indicators in cats with feline panleukopenia (FPV) on admission.

ANIMALS: Client-owned cats diagnosed with FPV and controls.

METHODS: Serum Cu and Zn concentrations were assessed using the spectrophotometric method and serum concentrations of SAA and cobalamin were measured by chemiluminescent immunoassay.

RESULTS: On admission, survivor cats with FPV had significantly higher serum Cu and SAA concentrations and Cu/Zn ratios and significantly lower serum Zn and cobalamin concentrations than controls. Furthermore, non-survivor cats with FPV had significantly higher serum Cu and SAA concentrations and Cu/Zn ratios and significantly lower cobalamin concentrations than survivors and controls. Prognostic thresholds were calculated, with positive predictive value (PPV) for survival of 90% for Cu (≥120.3 μg/dL), 90% for Cu/Zn (≥1.34), 90% for cobalamin (≤430.4 pg/mL), and 90% for SAA (≥0.85 mg/L).

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Cu (0.93 area under curve [AUC]), Cu/Zn (0.95 AUC), cobalamin (0.98 AUC), and SAA (0.98 AUC) were excellent biomarkers for predicting prognosis in cats with FPV. Their effectiveness, as assessed by sensitivity (100%), specificity (80%), AUC (0.98), and PPV (90%) from receiver operating characteristic analysis, emphasizes the performance of cobalamin and SAA.