Abstract
BackgroundSpecific biomarkers of pyelonephritis (PN) in cats are lacking. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have diagnostic potential in human nephropathies.ObjectivesTo investigate the presence/stability of miRNAs in whole urine of cats and the discriminatory potential of selected urinary miRNAs for PN in cats.AnimalsTwelve healthy cats, 5 cats with PN, and 13 cats with chronic kidney disease (n = 5), subclinical bacteriuria (n = 3), and ureteral obstructions (n = 5) recruited from 2 companion animal hospitals.MethodsProspective case‐control study. Expression profiles of 24 miRNAs were performed by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Effect of storage temperature (4°C [24 hours], −20°C, and −80°C) was determined for a subset of miRNAs in healthy cats.ResultsUrinary miR‐4286, miR‐30c, miR‐204, miR4454, miR‐21, miR‐16, miR‐191, and miR‐30a were detected. For the majority of miRNAs tested, storage at 4°C and −20°C resulted in significantly lower miRNA yield compared to storage at −80°C (mean log2fold changes across miRNAs from −0.5 ± 0.4 SD to −1.20 ± 0.4 SD (4°C versus −80°C) and from −0.7 ± 0.2 SD to −1.20 ± 0.3 SD (−20°C versus −80°C)). Cats with PN had significantly upregulated miR‐16 with a mean log2fold change of 1.0 ± 0.4 SD, compared with controls (−0.1 ± 0.2, P = .01) and other urological conditions (0.6 ± 0.3, P = .04).ConclusionsUpregulation of miR16 might be PN‐specific, pathogen‐specific (Escherichia coli), or both.
Highlights
The diagnosis of bacterial pyelonephritis (PN) in cats can be challenging, and definitive diagnosis requires a positive urine culture obtained by pyelocentesis, an invasive and technically demanding procedure
Discrimination between disease conditions is hampered by the common occurrence of subclinical bacteriuria (SB) in cats with CKD3 and the phenomenon of cystocentesis culture-negative pyelonephritis in cats with ureteral obstruction (UO).[4]
Storage temperature influenced urinary miRNA expression levels for the majority of tested miRNAs, with storage temperatures above −80C leading to a reduced miRNA yield
Summary
The diagnosis of bacterial pyelonephritis (PN) in cats can be challenging, and definitive diagnosis requires a positive urine culture obtained by pyelocentesis, an invasive and technically demanding procedure. The clinical presentation of PN can be nonspecific, and substantial overlap exists in clinical and diagnostic findings between cats with PN and cats with other urological conditions in particular chronic kidney disease (CKD) and ureteral obstruction (UO).[1]. Discrimination between disease conditions is hampered by the common occurrence of subclinical bacteriuria (SB) in cats with CKD3 and the phenomenon of cystocentesis culture-negative pyelonephritis in cats with UO.[4]. Cats with PN had significantly upregulated miR-16 with a mean log2fold change of 1.0 ± 0.4 SD, compared with controls (−0.1 ± 0.2, P = .01) and other urological conditions (0.6 ± 0.3, P = .04). Conclusions: Upregulation of miR16 might be PN-specific, pathogen-specific (Escherichia coli), or both
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