The acute phase response of haptoglobin and serum amyloid A (SAA) in cattle undergoing experimental infection with bovine respiratory syncytial virus

The ability of a pure virus infection to induce an acute phase protein resp onse is of interest as viral infections are normally considered to be less efficient in inducing an acute phase protein response than bacterial infect ions. This was studied in a bovine model for infection with bovine respirat ory syncytial virus (BRSV), analysing the induction of the two most dominan t bovine acute phase proteins haptoglobin and serum amyloid A (SAA). Strong and reproducible acute phase responses were detected for both proteins, pe aking at around 7-8 days after inoculation of BRSV, while no response was s een in mock-inoculated control animals. The serum concentrations reached fo r SAA and haptoglobin during the BRSV-induced acute phase response were gen erally the same or higher than previously reported for bacterial infections in calves. The magnitude and the duration of the haptoglobin response was found to correlate well with the severity of clinical signs (fever) and wit h the extent of lung consolidation while SAA responded most rapidly to infe ction. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.