Haptoglobin and Pig-MAP Levels in Serum, Milk and Saliva in Healthy Sows Before and After Parturition

Various acute phase proteins (APPs) are already used as diagnostic biomarkers or are considered promising candidates. The aim of this study was to measure the concentrations of haptoglobin and pig major acute phase protein (pig-MAP) in the serum, milk and saliva of healthy sows before and after parturition.

The measurements from 19 sows were included in the evaluation. Samples were taken at seven time points including T0 (112th day of pregnancy), T1 (intrapartum/birth of the first piglet), T2 (12 h postpartum), T3 (24 h postpartum), T4 (48 h postpartum), T5 (72 h postpartum) and T6 (14 d postpartum), and general condition parameters, such as the rectal temperature, were recorded. The samples were analysed using ELISA kits. The correlation between the APPs in different body fluids was investigated.

For serum and saliva concentrations, time points T1-T6 were compared to time point T0 to detect changes in APP concentration compared to prepartum levels. The pig-MAP levels in serum at time points T3-T5 were significantly increased compared to T0; the haptoglobin levels at time points T2-T5 were significantly increased compared to T0; and the rectal temperature was significantly increased at all later time points compared to T0. Comparison of T0-T5 to T6 (milk T1-T5 to T6) revealed that pig-MAP in serum, at time points T4 and T5, and haptoglobin levels, at T3-T5, were significantly different compared to T6. For both APPs in milk, the concentrations at all time points (T1-T5) were significantly elevated compared to T6. In saliva, there was a significant increase at T5 compared to T6 for haptoglobin.

This descriptive pilot study provides insights into the magnitude, timing and significance of the increase in APP levels in sows during and after parturition and can be used as a basis for future studies on the early detection and diagnosis of diseases during this period.