Hypercortisolism in cats with diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a common diagnosed endocrinological disorder in cats. Diabetes in cats can be classified in four categories. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 80-95% of the cases and type 3 for the other 15-20%. Type 3 diabetes mellitus can be related to specific diseases, this diseases either decrease β-cell numbers or cause marked insulin resistance. The most common diseases that decreases β-cell numbers are pancreatitis and pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Disease that produce a marked insulin resistance include acromegaly, hyperadrenocorticism (hypercortisolism) and hyperthyreoidism results in a more moderate insulin resistance. In the literature hypercortisolism is described as a rare disease in cats. The aim of this study was to look at the prevalence of hypercortisolism and look if parameters in blood and urine can predict the presence of hypercortisolism in cats with diabetes. For this research cats with diabetes mellitus were clinically examined and blood and urine samples were taken. As result a prevalence of hypercortisolism of 15,96% was found in 124 cats with diabetes mellitus. In the total set of animals the only significant correlation, with the corticoid-creatinine ratio, that was found was a negative correlation with the protein level in the blood. Then the set of animals was split into a group with the corticoid-creatinine ratio beneath the 42 x106 and a group with a ratio of 42 x106 or higher. Between this groups there were less differences between the parameters from blood and urine examples. In the first group only a significance, negative, correlation with the albumin concentration of the blood was found and in the second group only a significance, negative, correlation with the hematocrit.