Journal of feline medicine and surgery
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J. Feline Med. Surg. · Apr 2021
Evaluation and comparison of serum procalcitonin and heparin-binding protein levels as biomarkers of bacterial infection in cats.
As bacterial infection can lead to sepsis and high mortality, early and easy diagnosis of sepsis can improve survival. In cats, the diagnosis of systemic bacterial infection is quite challenging, and, usually, non-specific markers for inflammation are employed. In humans, procalcitonin, heparin-binding protein and absolute neutrophil count are biomarkers that are studied in bacterial infections and sepsis owing to their high sensitivity and specificity. ⋯ High procalcitonin levels in cats were associated with bacterial infection. Hence, procalcitonin could be a valuable marker for diagnosing bacterial infections in cats.