Fecal Calprotectin Concentrations in Cats with Chronic Enteropathies

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Diagnosing feline chronic inflammatory enteropathies (CIE) and distinguishing them from small cell intestinal lymphoma (SCL) presents a clinical challenge.
• Calprotectin (S100A8/A9 protein complex) is implicated in the pathogenesis of feline chronic enteropathies (FCE).
• Fecal calprotectin (fCal) is a non-invasive biomarker for intestinal inflammation in humans and dogs, but its utility in cats is unevaluated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate fecal calprotectin (fCal) concentrations in cats with FCE.
• To assess the correlation between fCal levels and clinical or histologic disease severity.
• To determine if fCal can differentiate between CIE and SCL in cats.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study was conducted with fecal samples from cats with CIE (n=34), SCL (n=17), other gastrointestinal diseases (n=16), and healthy controls (n=32).
• Fecal calprotectin concentrations were measured using the immunoturbidimetric fCal turbo assay.
• Patient data on clinical and histologic disease severity were collected.

Main Results:

• Fecal calprotectin concentrations were significantly higher in cats with CIE, SCL, and other GI diseases compared to healthy controls (p < 0.0001).
• No significant difference in fCal concentrations was found between the CIE, SCL, and other GI disease groups (p > 0.05).
• fCal levels did not differ between cats with extra-gastrointestinal diseases and healthy controls.

Conclusions:

• Fecal calprotectin shows potential as a clinical biomarker for feline chronic enteropathies (FCE).
• fCal is not suitable for differentiating between chronic inflammatory enteropathies (CIE) and small cell intestinal lymphoma (SCL).
• These findings support the role of calprotectin in the pathogenesis of the spectrum of feline intestinal diseases, including CIE and SCL.