Journal of Animal Health and Behavioural Science

Serum Amyloid: A as an Indicator of Infection in Donkeys

Abstract

Junqiao Li, Guimiao Jiang, Juntao Zhang, Weichao Liang, Fuwei Zhao, Weiping Gao, Shaojun Liu, Chao Wang, Lixin Deng and Zhiping Zhang*

Acute Phase Proteins (APPs) are those produced by the liver following stimulation by stress, such as trauma, infection or inflammation. Changes in their concentration in blood have been used as important indicators of disease, and widely used in the diagnosis of diseases in humans and pets, such as cats and dogs. Donkeys and horses have a clinical response to disease that is distinct, in many cases, such as having more tolerance to pain and displaying fewer obvious clinical symptoms. The principal APP varies by species and remains unknown for donkeys. 33 donkeys with the clinical disease (8 young, 25 adult) and 37 clinically healthy donkeys (10 young, 27 adult) were included in the current study, for evaluating for clinically important APPs in donkeys. Blood was collected from the jugular vein of all donkeys and a Complete Blood Count (CBC) and standard blood biochemistry report conducted. Serum Amyloid A (SAA), Haptoglobin (HP), C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and α1-Acidic Glycol Protein (α1-AGP) in the blood samples were quantified by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The results indicated that SAA and α1-AGP in the young, clinically-ill donkeys were significantly higher in concentration than in young healthy donkeys (P<0.05). The difference in SAA (P<0.01) and HP concentrations (P<0.05) were also significantly higher in adult clinically-ill donkeys than in adult healthy donkeys. Conversely, there was no difference in CRP concentrations in healthy and clinically ill donkeys (P>0.05). The young clinically ill donkeys had significantly higher numbers of Red Blood Cells (RBCs) and had a Higher Hematocrit (HCT) and higher levels of Hemoglobin (HG) than young healthy donkeys (P<0.01), as were levels of Aspartate Transaminase (AST), urea and Phosphate (P<0.05). The adult clinically ill donkeys had significantly higher numbers of White Blood Cells (WBC), neutrophils and monocytes than adult healthy donkeys (P<0.01), while conversely, numbers of eosinophils (P<0.01) and platelets (P<0.05), hematocrit (P<0.01) and levels of hemoglobin (P<0.01) were higher in the adult healthy donkeys. Total Protein (TP), urea, creatinine and glucose concentrations were higher in adult clinically ill donkeys than in adult healthy donkeys (P<0.05). Taken together, the results of this study indicate that a significant difference in SAA blood concentration was observed in healthy donkeys compared to those that were clinically ill and thus is responsive to the health of donkeys. Therefore, SAA can be considered the principal APP of donkeys for the early diagnosis of clinical disease in donkeys.