Acute phase proteins in cattle: discrimination between acute and chronic inflammation

Acute phase proteins such as serum amyloid A, haptoglobin, and alpha(1)-aci d glycoprotein have been identified as markers of inflammation in cattle be cause they are produced by the liver in response to pro-inflammatory cytoki nes. This study was designed to assess whether they could be used to discri minate between acute and chronic inflammation. Their concentrations were me asured in serum samples from 81 cattle in which inflammation was classified by thorough clinical examination, supported by postmortem findings, as bei ng acute in severity in 31 and chronic in 50. The classical haematological markers of inflammation were also determined in blood from the animals. Ser um amyloid A had a maximum (100 per cent) clinical sensitivity in discrimin ating between the acute and chronic cases, and haptoglobin had the highest clinical specificity of 76 per cent; counts of neutrophils and band neutrop hils had sensitivities of 71 per cent and 42 per cent and specificities of 30 per cent and 72 per cent, respectively. If was concluded that serum amyl oid A and haptoglobin may be used to discriminate between acute and chronic inflammatory conditions.