Feline Journal Club - July 2025

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Six articles will be presented each year with an accompanying quiz consisting of 5-10 questions. You must correctly answer 80% of questions to receive credit, and Diplomates may take each quiz up to three (3) times.
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* 1. What is your first name?

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* 2. What is your last name?

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* 3. What is your email address?

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* 4. Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) is considered a sensitive biomarker of early kidney dysfunction in cats. Which physiological characteristic of SDMA best explains its utility over serum creatinine for assessing glomerular filtration rate (GFR)?

SDMA is primarily excreted via glomerular filtration and is less affected by muscle mass.

SDMA is actively secreted by renal tubules and reflects tubular function more accurately.

SDMA undergoes hepatic metabolism, making it more stable in systemic illness.

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* 5. A cat with normal creatinine and urea concentrations presents with increased SDMA but no evidence of dehydration or azotemia. Which of the following comorbidities would be most important to rule out before attributing the elevated SDMA to early renal disease?

Hyperthyroidism

Urolithiasis

Hepatic lipidosis

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* 6. In the study, cats with elevated SAA concentrations had significantly lower serum creatinine and urea levels than cats with normal SAA. What is the most plausible explanation for this finding?

Increased glomerular filtration rate due to inflammation

Increased lean muscle mass in cats with inflammation

Reduced protein intake and increased muscle catabolism in systemic illness

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* 7. Based on the study’s findings, what conclusion can be made about the use of SDMA as a biomarker during inflammatory states in cats?

SDMA levels are significantly elevated in the presence of inflammation.

SDMA levels are unreliable during systemic inflammatory states.

SDMA may be a more consistent indirect marker of GFR than creatinine during inflammation if renal and extrarenal factors that affect SDMA are ruled out.

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* 8. In human medicine, the cardiac biomarker NT-proBNP is known to correlate with circulating IL-6 concentrations. How does this compare to the findings of the study regarding SDMA in cats with elevated SAA concentrations?

Like NT-proBNP, SDMA was significantly elevated in the presence of inflammatory markers.

Unlike NT-proBNP, SDMA concentrations were not associated with markers of systemic inflammation in cats.

Both NT-proBNP and SDMA concentrations are elevated independently of renal function during inflammation.