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Published on: May 18, 2017
Acute phase protein concentrations in retired racing Greyhounds
C Guillermo Couto1, José J Cerón, M D Parra
1Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA. couto.1@osu.edu
Background:
Retired racing Greyhounds are popular as pets. Greyhounds have several differences in physiological values compared with other breeds, including lower serum alpha- and beta-globulin concentrations. We hypothesized that lower acute phase protein (APP) concentrations could contribute to lower alpha- and beta-globulin concentrations in this breed.
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to compare serum concentrations of several APPs in Greyhounds with those of other dog breeds.
Methods:
We measured the serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), haptoglobin (Hp), acid-soluble glycoprotein (ASG), ceruloplasmin (CP), and serum amyloid A (SAA) in 15 clinically healthy retired racing Greyhounds and 11 age- and gender-matched healthy nonGreyhound controls using previously validated methods. Results were compared by Student's t-tests.
Results:
The concentration of Hp by both colorimetric and immunoturbidimetric methods was significantly lower in Greyhounds than in nonGreyhound dogs (P=.0009 and .019, respectively). The concentration of ASG was also significantly (P=.007) lower in Greyhounds, but CRP and CP concentrations were not significantly different between groups. SAA concentration was below the detection limit of the method in all dogs.
Conclusions:
The low serum concentrations of Hp and ASG should be taken into consideration when interpreting APP results in Greyhounds. Because both Hp and some ASG migrate in the alpha-globulin fraction, these results may explain the low alpha-globulin concentrations in Greyhounds.
