Determination of a reference range for fructosamine in feline serum samples

Fructosamine, the product of a non-enzymatic reaction between glucose and serum proteins, is a component of serum which reflects long-term deviations from normal glucose and protein homeostasis. Thirty-one healthy, intact, domestic short-haired cats, living under uniform feeding and environmental conditions, were sampled to calculate a reference range for feline serum fructosamine. The results were obtained using a nitroblue tetrazolium colorimetric method. The analytical assay was evaluated by calculation of within-run and between-day variation, detection limit, and accuracy. Serum fructosamine concentrations were approximately normally distributed and the calculated reference range was 146-271 mumol/L (mean 209 mumol/L, standard deviation 31.6 mumol/L). There were no significant differences between male and female cats, or between cats older and younger than 12 months. Previously conducted studies give higher reference ranges, possibly because of differences in the test procedure and homogeneity of the test population.