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. 2014 Nov-Dec;28(6):1699-701.
doi: 10.1111/jvim.12446. Epub 2014 Oct 1.

Relationship between serum symmetric dimethylarginine concentration and glomerular filtration rate in cats

J Braff  1 , E Obare, M Yerramilli, J Elliott, M Yerramilli
Affiliations

Relationship between serum symmetric dimethylarginine concentration and glomerular filtration rate in cats

J Braff et al. J Vet Intern Med. 2014 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Background: Direct measurement of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the preferred method to assess renal function in cats, but it is not widely used in the diagnosis of chronic kidney disease (CKD). In cats with CKD, symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) has been shown to increase and to correlate with plasma creatinine concentrations.

Hypothesis: In cats, reduced GFR corresponds with increased serum SDMA concentration.

Animals: The study group consisted of ten client-owned cats whose GFR had been measured previously. Cats ranged in age from 11.1 to 16.9 years; both azotemic and nonazotemic animals were included.

Methods: Glomerular filtration rate was determined for each cat by plasma iohexol clearance using the three sample slope-intercept method, and serum SDMA concentration was measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Results: A linear relationship was observed between GFR and the reciprocal of serum SDMA concentration (R(2) = 0.82, P < .001). A similar relationship was found between GFR and the reciprocal of plasma creatinine concentration (R(2) = 0.81, P < .001).

Conclusions and clinical importance: Increased serum SDMA concentrations were observed in cats with reduced renal function as determined by direct measurement of GFR. This finding indicates that SDMA could have clinical applications in the diagnosis of CKD in cats.

Keywords: Creatinine; Feline; Kidney; Renal.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Relationship between glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and the reciprocal of serum symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) for 10 cats selected to represent a range of GFR and plasma creatinine values (R 2 = 0.82, P < .001).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Relationship between glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and the reciprocal of plasma creatinine for 10 cats selected to represent a range of GFR and plasma creatinine values (R 2 = 0.81, P < .001).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Relationship between creatinine and serum symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) for 10 cats selected to represent a range of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and plasma creatinine values (R 2 = 0.73, P = .0017).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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