CONCENTRATIONS OF SERUM AMYLOID-A (SAA) AND HAPTOGLOBIN (HP) AS PARAMETERS OF INFLAMMATORY DISEASES IN CATTLE

The concentrations of the acute-phase proteins, serum amyloid-A (SAA) and haptoglobin (Hp), were determined in the plasma of healthy cows (n =25) and cows with spontaneous acute (n=6), subacute (n=37), or chroni c (n=7) inflammatory diseases. The plasma concentration of SAA alone, Hp alone, and the Hp/SAA ratio, differed significantly (p<0.001) betwe en healthy animals and animals with inflammatory diseases. Plasma Hp c oncentrations in the group of cows with acute inflammatory diseases we re significantly (p<0.01) different from those in the group with chron ic inflammatory diseases. Moreover, the Hp/SAA ratio in chronic inflam matory diseases was significantly different from this ratio in acute ( p<0.01) and subacute (p<0.05) inflammatory diseases. It is therefore c oncluded that the plasma concentrations of SAA and Hp and the Hp/SAA r atio are useful parameters to distinguish healthy animals from animals with inflammation and can be helpful in distinguishing between acute and chronic of inflammatory diseases.