VALUE OF ALPHA-1-ACID GLYCOPROTEIN IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF FELINE INFECTIOUS PERITONITIS

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is notoriously difficult to differ entiate from the many other diseases,vith similar clinical signs and a t present the only conclusive diagnostic test is the histopathological examination of a biopsy, The potential value of raised levels of the acute phase reactants, alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) and haptoglobin in the diagnosis of the disease was investigated, The concentrations of the two proteins were determined in serum samples from healthy cats and gave reference ranges of 0.1 to 0.48 g/litre and 0.04 to 3.84 g/l itre, respectively, Levels of AGP greater than 1.5 g/litre in serum, p lasma or effusion samples were found to be of value in distinguishing field cases of FIP from cats with similar clinical signs and different iated these two groups of cats more effectively than the albumin:globu lin ratio, The concentration of haptoglobin was higher in cats with FI P than in the group of healthy cats, but this protein was not of value in the diagnosis of PIP, Serum samples from feline immunodeficiency v irus-infected cats were also analysed for these proteins and their con centrations were significantly elevated, illustrating that raised leve ls of AGP and haptoglobin are not pathognomonic for FIP.