Research Communications of the 24th ECVIM-CA Congress

Prior studies have evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of a point-of-care second generation ELISA that utilizes SNAP technology. The SNAP Feline proBNP Test uses the same biological reagents as the Cardiopet proBNP Test but provides results in 10 minutes. We sought to prospectively validate the assay in a population of clinically normal cats. Cats were recruited based upon the absence of a heart murmur, gallop, and/or arrhythmia. All cats received physical examination, non-invasive blood pressure measurement, complete biochemical analysis including a T4, urinalysis and echocardiogram. Only cats considered free of underlying cardiac or systemic disease were enrolled. Sixteen adult cats were enrolled and blood samples were obtained for NT-proBNP concentrations at 0, 2 hr, 4 hr, 6 hr, 8 hr, 10 hr. Samples were placed in EDTA tubes and centrifuged within one hour and split into two tubes for duplicate samples at each time point and stored at -80°C. Once all samples were collected, they were shipped on dry ice overnight and run in one batch (IDEXX Laboratories) for measurement of NT-proBNP concentrations. SNAP tests were visually evaluated by one blinded reader. Comparison of SNAP assay vs. quantitative ELISA revealed a 1.0 (AUC) degree of correlation between assays, and that a positive SNAP test result was associated with a NT-proBNP concentration of 126.4pmol/L or greater. The average BNP concentration of abnormal cats (191.1 AE 5.8) determined by the SNAP assay was significantly greater than the normal (26.4 AE 1.2).