Plasma biochemical reference intervals for koi

Area of Science:

• Aquatic animal health
• Clinical biochemistry
• Veterinary diagnostics

Background:

• Accurate biochemical analysis is crucial for diagnosing diseases in koi.
• Establishing reliable reference intervals for plasma analytes in adult koi is essential for health assessments.
• In-house diagnostic tools can improve efficiency and accessibility in veterinary practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reproducibility of an in-house tabletop biochemical analyzer for measuring plasma biochemical analytes in adult koi.
• To establish reference intervals for various plasma biochemical analytes in healthy adult koi.
• To assess the clinical utility of the analyzer for aquatic veterinarians.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study involving 71 healthy adult koi.
• Plasma samples were analyzed for 19 biochemical analytes using an in-house tabletop analyzer.
• Reproducibility was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients and analysis of replicate sample differences.

Main Results:

• The analyzer demonstrated excellent reproducibility for most analytes.
• Good reproducibility was noted for alanine aminotransferase, while poor reproducibility was observed for sodium (Na), gamma-glutamyltransferase, and phosphorus (P).
• Reference intervals were successfully established for several plasma biochemical analytes in adult koi.

Conclusions:

• The in-house biochemical analyzer exhibits good precision for most plasma analytes in adult koi.
• Further validation is required for analytes with poor reproducibility (globulin, Na, P, K, albumin) before establishing definitive reference intervals.
• The established reference intervals can serve as a valuable diagnostic tool for aquatic veterinarians in fish wellness programs.