Serum glycated albumin as a glycemic control marker in diabetic cats

Measurements of glycated proteins such as serum fructosamine, glycated hemoglobin, and glycated albumin (GA) are increasingly used to complement serum glucose concentration for better management of diabetes mellitus. For example, the degree of glycemic control in diabetic cats can be determined by evaluating fructosamine concentration. Unfortunately, fructosamine tests are currently not performed in Japan, and as such, the measurement of GA may serve as a replacement test. The objectives of the current study were 2-fold. First, serum GA and fructosamine level were evaluated for positive correlation in cats as a preliminary gauge on whether serum GA use is applicable. Second, a GA percentage reference range was determined from healthy control cats for possible future diagnostic use. A positive correlation was determined for fructosamine and GA in both normal and diabetic cats. Moreover, the serum GA percentage reference interval based on control cats was determined to be 7.5-13.9% (95% nonparametric interfractile interval). Interestingly, no significant difference in serum GA percentages was observed between samples from diabetic cats with excellent glycemic control and control cats. However, good, fair, and poor glycemic control diabetic cats resulted in a significant increase in serum GA percentages in comparison to control cats. Therefore, these results indicate that serum GA may be a useful glycemic control indicator that could substitute for fructosamine to monitor glycemic control in diabetic cats.