Abstract
Renal pathology has been well documented in reptiles,1 but is limited in sea turtles. Serum uric acid is the standard for evaluating renal insufficiency in other reptiles and has been shown to be superior in sea turtles.2 Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) has been proven to be a reliable biomarker for indicator of early identification of renal impairment and monitoring of chronic renal disease in humans, dogs, and cats.3,4 In order to establish a normal reference range for SDMA, 35 blood samples were collected from 7 resident and 22 rehabilitating green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas), ranging in age from juvenile to adult, that were considered healthy at the time of exam. The blood was collected as part of routine health assessments in residents and pre-release bloodwork for rehabilitating turtles. Preliminary data shows a mean of 14.84 µg/dl, median of 15 µg/dl and a standard deviation of 3.52, giving a reference range of 7.96–22.04 µg/dl. Establishing a reference range is the first step in evaluating this new parameter in sea turtles. Further investigation is needed to correlate SDMA with uric acid abnormalities and histopathological evidence of renal pathology.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the Clearwater Marine Aquarium sea turtle staff, interns, and volunteers for their assistance with these turtles.
* Presenting author
Literature Cited
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