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Urinary Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein concentrations in normal and urolithiasis-affected male cats determined by an
D C Rhodes1, E J Hinsman, J A Rhodes
1Department of Anatomy, School of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.
Insights
Researchers developed a precise assay to measure urinary cat Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (cTHP). Higher cTHP levels were found in male cats with urolithiasis, suggesting a link between cTHP and feline stone formation.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Biochemistry
- Urology
Background:
- Feline urolithiasis is a common condition in cats.
- The role of urinary proteins in stone formation is not fully understood.
- Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (THP) is the most abundant protein in mammalian urine.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a precise and reproducible enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for quantifying urinary cat Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (cTHP).
- To investigate the potential role of cTHP in the pathogenesis of feline urolithiasis.
Main Methods:
- Developed and validated an ELISA for cTHP quantification.
- Standardized sample handling protocols, including freezing at -70°C and disaggregation with urea and Tween 20.
- Measured urinary cTHP concentrations in male cats with and without a history of urolithiasis.
Main Results:
- A reproducible ELISA method for urinary cTHP was established.
- Significantly higher mean urinary cTHP concentrations were observed in male cats with urolithiasis (95.4 ± 34.1 µg/ml) compared to normal cats (49.2 ± 35.5 µg/ml).
- A strong correlation was found between elevated urinary cTHP levels and the presence of urolithiasis in male cats.
Conclusions:
- The study established a reliable method for measuring urinary cTHP in cats.
- Findings suggest a correlation between high urinary cTHP concentrations and feline urolithiasis in male cats.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the specific role of cTHP in feline stone formation.
Abstract:
A precise and reproducible enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) which measures urinary cat Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (cTHP) was developed in order to investigate the possible role of cTHP in the pathogenesis of feline urolithiasis. Reproducible quantification required that the cTHP be disaggregated with 2M urea and 0.05% Tween 20. It was necessary to standardize rigidly the handling of the samples prior to analysis, since the apparent cTHP concentration varied depending on the preanalysis protocols. Using the sample handling protocol of freezing urine at -70 degrees C before dialysis, urinary cTHP was quantified in male cats with no history of urolithiasis ("normal" cats) and in male cats with a history of urolith formation ("urolithiasis" cats). The mean cTHP concentration in adult, male "normal" cats of 49.2 +/- 35.5 micrograms/ml (N = 23) was significantly lower than the mean cTHP concentration of 95.4 +/- 34.1 micrograms/ml (N = 9) in "urolithiasis" cats (p < 0.01, Students' T-test). These findings indicate a correlation between urolithiasis and high urine cTHP concentrations in male cats which warrants further investigation.