Short-term biological variation of serum thyroid hormones concentrations in clinically healthy cats.

Thyroid disease is common in cats, but little is known about the biologic variability of serum thyroid hormone concentrations and its impact on diagnostic utility in either healthy cats or cats with thyroid disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the biological variation, index of individuality, and reference change values for thyroid hormones and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in clinically healthy cats. Serum samples for analysis of total thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), free T4 by dialysis, and TSH were obtained weekly for 6 wk from 10 healthy cats, then frozen until single-batch analyzed. Data were evaluated for outliers, and we determined the CV within individual cats (CVI) and between individual cats (CVG) for each hormone and the variation between duplicates or analytical variation (CVA). The index of individuality and reference change values for each hormone were then calculated. Serum concentrations of total T4, free T4, T3, and TSH all showed greater variation between cats (CVG) than within cats (CVI). Total and free T4 had an intermediate index of individuality (1.1 and 1.2, respectively), suggesting that these hormones would be best evaluated by a combination of their population-based reference intervals and reference change values. Serum TSH concentrations had high index of individuality (1.8), suggesting this hormone would be best evaluated with reference change values rather than the population-based reference interval. Total T3 also had a high calculated index of individuality (1.8); however, T3 had high ratio of analytical variation (CVA) to within cat variation (CVI), so RCV could not be accurately calculated. This study demonstrates that clinically normal cats show considerable interindividual biological variation in serum thyroid hormone and TSH concentrations, whereas the intraindividual variability in hormone concentrations is much narrower. This suggests that for all serum thyroid hormones, but especially serum TSH and T3 concentrations, comparing individual cat's hormone results to a population-based reference interval may be misleading, especially in those with early or subclinical thyroid disease. Clinicians might improve the diagnosis of feline thyroid disease by establishing baseline concentrations of T4, free T4, T3, and TSH for individual cats (ideally when healthy) and applying reference change values to subsequent measurements.

Biological variability of C-reactive protein and specific canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity in apparently healthy dogs.

BACKGROUND: C-reactive protein (CRP) and specific canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (Spec cPL) are biomarkers of generalized or nonspecific inflammation and pancreatic inflammation in dogs, respectively. The extent of inter- and intraindividual variation over time of these analytes is not well defined in dogs. The minimal critical difference for sequential determinations of these markers (ie, the smallest change necessary to represent physiological change rather than biological variation), has not been defined. OBJECTIVES: To determine the inter- and intraindividual variability (CV(G) and CV(I) ) and minimal critical difference for sequential determinations of serum CRP and Spec cPL concentrations in apparently healthy dogs. ANIMALS: Eleven apparently healthy dogs owned by staff or students at a veterinary teaching hospital. METHODS: Blood was collected repeatedly at varying intervals over 12 weeks. CRP and Spec cPL concentrations were determined with commercially available assays. Indices of inter-, intraindividual, and assay variability and 1-sided minimal critical differences for sequential concentrations were calculated. RESULTS: For CRP, CV(G) was 90.8%, CV(I) was 115.5%, and the analytical variability (CV(A) ) was 6.3%; the index of individuality was 0.74, and 1-sided critical difference was 269.9%. For Spec cPL, CV(G) = 49.48%, CV(I) = 193.8%, CV(A) = 8.4%, index of individuality = 0.24, and 1-sided critical difference was 452.6%. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: A population-based reference range is appropriate for Spec cPL, but questionable for CRP in dogs. Large changes in serial measurements of Spec cPL are necessary to infer clinical importance, more modest changes in CRP are likely to be meaningful.