Acute phase response in lame crossbred dairy cattle

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Animal Health
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Lameness in dairy cattle is a significant welfare and economic concern.
• Acute phase proteins (APPs) are biomarkers of inflammation and disease in animals.
• Understanding the acute phase response in lame cattle can aid in diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the acute phase response in lame crossbred dairy cattle.
• To quantify levels of key acute phase proteins (APPs): C-reactive protein (CRP), haptoglobin (Hp), serum amyloid A (SAA), and fibrinogen.
• To compare APP levels between lame and non-lame dairy cattle.

Main Methods:

• Selected 30 lame and 10 non-lame crossbred dairy cattle from a local farm.
• Collected blood samples from all animals, separating serum and plasma for storage.
• Quantified CRP, Hp, and SAA using Sandwich ELISA and fibrinogen via heat precipitation.

Main Results:

• Significantly higher SAA levels (approx. 3x) in lame cows (22.19 µg/ml) vs. non-lame (8.89 µg/ml).
• Markedly elevated Hp concentrations (approx. 20x) in lame cattle (21.71 mg/dl) vs. non-lame (1.17 mg/dl).
• Increased fibrinogen (3.97 g/L vs. 1.40 g/L) and CRP (4.41 mg/L vs. 0.61 mg/L) in lame cattle, with sole lesions noted.

Conclusions:

• Lame dairy cattle exhibit significantly elevated levels of APPs, including CRP, Hp, SAA, and fibrinogen.
• These findings confirm a pronounced acute phase response associated with lameness in dairy cattle.
• APP levels can serve as valuable indicators of inflammation in lame cattle.