Selected blood serum elements in Van (Turkey) cats

The Turkish Van cat originates from eastern Turkey. One of the characteristic features of Van cats is the colour of their eyes, which can be both eyes blue, both eyes amber or one eye blue and the other amber. Serum essential trace, macro and industrial element concentrations of Van cats (n = 47) according to sex, age, hair length and eye colour differences were investigated. Serum aluminium, arsenic, boron, barium, cobalt, chromium, copper, gallium, indium, iron, lead, lithium, manganese, nickel, selenium, silver, sulphur, strontium, vanadium and zinc were measured with ICP-OES plasma optical atomic emission spectrometer. In result, serum aluminium, barium, copper, manganese and strontium levels in male cats were found higher (p < 0.05) than in female cats. Serum aluminium, copper, manganese, strontium and zinc amounts of blue-blue eyed cats were found higher (p < 0.05) than amber-amber, amber-blue and blue-amber eyed cats, and serum lithium of blue-amber eyed cats was higher (p < 0.05) than blue-blue eyed cats. There were no statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) found in the age and hair length groups. Our results indicate that several of the blood serum elements of Van cats may be related to their eye colours and sex differences.