Evaluation of Testican-1 as a Sepsis Biomarker in Pyometra Cats

Testican-1 is a promising biomarker for sepsis, with potential applications in both diagnosis and treatment monitoring in human medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of Testican-1 as a biomarker in feline sepsis, using pyometra as a model for naturally occurring sepsis. The study was conducted on a total of 30 cats from different breeds, aged between 1 and 8 years. The cats were divided into three groups on the basis of the owner's history, physical and gynaecological examination findings, diagnostic ultrasonography results and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria. The control group (Group 1, n = 10) consisted of healthy cats without pyometra symptoms, the non-septic pyometra group (Group 2, n = 10) included cats with pyometra but not meeting the SIRS criteria, and the septic pyometra group (Group 3, n = 10) included cats with pyometra that met the SIRS criteria. The obtained data were analysed using one-way ANOVA. It was found that body temperature and pulse values were significantly higher in the non-septic and septic pyometra groups compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Respiratory rate did not show a significant difference between the control group and the non-septic pyometra group (p > 0.05), but it was significantly higher in the septic pyometra group (p < 0.001). White blood cell (WBC) counts were significantly higher in the non-septic and septic pyometra groups compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Glucose, creatinine, and C-reactive protein (CRP) values did not show significant differences between the control group and the non-septic pyometra group (p > 0.05) but were significantly higher in the septic pyometra group (p < 0.001). Serum amyloid A (SAA) and Testican-1 levels were significantly higher in both non-septic and septic pyometra groups compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between Testican-1 and heart rate (r = -0.864, p < 0.01) and creatinine (r = -0.584, p < 0.01). In contrast, significant positive correlations were found between Testican-1 and body temperature (r = 0.929, p < 0.01), respiratory rate (r = 0.844, p < 0.01), WBC (r = 0.955, p < 0.01), glucose (r = 0.865, p < 0.01), CRP (r = 0.993, p < 0.01) and SAA (r = 0.971, p < 0.01). In conclusion, it was concluded that Testican-1 could be used as a novel biomarker for the detection of sepsis in pyometra cats.