Serum thymidine kinase activity in clinically healthy and diseased cats: a potential biomarker for lymphoma.
The thymidine kinases are enzymes that convert deoxythymidine to deoxythymidine monophosphate and have a function in DNA synthesis. Rapidly proliferating cells will have higher levels of thymidine kinase. Serum thymidine kinase activity (sTK) is a useful tumour marker in humans and dogs, with utility as a prognostic indicator in lymphoma. In the current study serum samples were collected from 49 clinically healthy cats, 33 with lymphoma, 55 with inflammatory disease and 34 with non-haematopoietic neoplasia (NHPN). sTK was measured using a radioenzyme assay and a reference interval (1.96 × SD) was established from the clinically healthy cats (<5.5 U/l). Mean sTK activity for healthy cats was 2.2 U/l (range 0.8-8.4, ± SD 1.7). Mean sTK activity for cats with lymphoma was 17.5 U/l (range 1.0-100.0 SD ± 27.4). Mean sTK activity for cats with NHPN was 4.2 U/l (range 1.0-45.0, SD ± 8.6). Mean sTK activity for the inflammatory group was 3.4 U/l (range 1.0-19.6, SD 3.9). Cats with lymphoma had significantly higher sTK activity than healthy cats or cats with inflammatory disease (P <0.0001) and cats with NHPN (P <0.0002). sTK activity is a potentially useful biomarker for feline lymphoma and further study is required to assess its utility as a prognostic indicator.
Diagnostic Laboratories, Langford Veterinary Services, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. taylorvet4@googlemail.com
Samantha S
SS
Taylor
Steve
S
Dodkin
Kostas
K
Papasouliotis
Helen
H
Evans
Peter A
PA
Graham
Zoe
Z
Belshaw
Sara
S
Westberg
Henrik P
HP
von Euler
D000818:Animals; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D013937:Thymidine Kinase