Urinary carbonic anhydrase VI as a biomarker for kidney disease in pigs.

ABSTRACT

This study investigated whether carbonic anhydrase (CA)-VI has utility as a biomarker in swine kidney disease. Serum chemistry, histopathology, immunohistochemical staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analyses were performed. In the kidney of normal healthy pigs, CA-VI was localized in the epithelial cells of the renal distal straight tubules. CA-VI levels were 16 ± 35 ng/g wet tissue and 50 ± 66 ng/mL in normal pig kidney and urine, respectively, and 136 ± 173 ng/mL in the urine of pigs with kidney disease. CA-VI urinary concentration was not correlated with urinary urea nitrogen (UUN), urinary creatinine (Cre), or urinary albumin levels in pigs with kidney disease. However, UUN and Cre levels were positively correlated in the urine of pigs with kidney disease. These data suggest that urinary CA-VI may represent a biomarker for kidney disease in pigs, particularly for disorders affecting distal straight tubules.