Validation of a handheld β-hydroxybutyrate acid meter to identify hyperketonaemia in ewes

• Published in: PeerJ (San Francisco, CA) Vol. 8; p. e8933
• Main Authors: Araújo, Carolina Akiko Sato Cabral, Minervino, Antonio Humberto Hamad, Sousa, Rejane Santos, Oliveira, Francisco Leonardo Costa, Rodrigues, Frederico Augusto Mazzocca Lopes, Mori, Clara Satsuki, Ortolani, Enrico Lippi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States PeerJ Inc 10.04.2020
• Subjects: Drugs and Devices; Ketone bodies; Ketosis; Metabolic disease; Metabolic Sciences; Pregnancy toxemia; Sheep; Veterinary Medicine; Metabolic disease; Sheep; Ketone bodies; Ketosis; Pregnancy toxemia
• ISSN: 2167-8359; 2167-8359
• DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8933

The end of pregnancy is the period with the highest risk of occurrences of ketosis and pregnancy toxemia due to fat mobilization and increasing non-esterified fatty acids in the liver which are converted in ketone bodies, mainly β-hydroxybutyrate acid (BHB). This ketone body may also become elevated in the bloodstream. The present study validates the use of a handheld meter for determining the blood concentration of BHB and ascertaining the predictive value and accuracy of BHB measurements in diagnosing hyperketonaemia in ewes. A total of 19, non-pregnant, crossbred ewes were subjected to 2 h of intravenous infusion of a saturated BHB solution. Over 6 h of evaluation, 247 blood samples were obtained in 13 sampling moments. The BHB concentration was measured by an enzymatic colorimetric method in an automated biochemical analyzer (gold-standard) and by a handheld meter using an electrochemical enzyme technique. There was a high correlation between both methods ( = 0.98; < 0.001). Considering the blood BHB concentrations range 0.8-1.6 mmol/L for moderate ketosis the handheld meter presented sensitivity and specificity of 0.98 and 0.81, respectively. For severe ketosis (BHB ≥ 1.6 mmol/L) sensitivity and specificity were 0.99 and 0.75, respectively. Thus, the handheld device can be useful for diagnoses of cases of mild or severe pregnancy toxemia at field conditions.