Approach to treatment of bronchopneumonia by evaluation of selected acute-phase proteins in calf herds

摘要

The objective of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of selected acute-phase proteins serum amyloid A, haptoglobin, fibrinogen, and albumin in calves with bronchopneumonia. Bronchopneumonia is a multifactorial disease in association with various infectious agents. Negative economic impact of this disease is associated with death loss, treatment costs, reduction in live weight gain, and reduced productive life span. In this study, acute-phase proteins and alteration in hematologic values were measured for evaluation of dairy calves' health status. Sixty Holstein calves within 2 weeks up to 6 months old were divided into treatment and control groups. Clinical findings including body temperature, pulsation, and respiratory rate were recorded after common physical examination. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of each calf. Hematological parameters as well as some biochemical profiles, i. e., albumin and globulin, showed no significant difference between the two groups (p > 0.05). The results indicated a significant increase in serum amyloid A, haptoglobin, and fibrinogen between the two groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study reveals that serum amyloid A, haptoglobin, and fibrinogen are potentially useful and sensitive markers for early determination of bronchopneumonia and can be used as inflammatory indicators of health in calf herds, thereby facilitating treatment decisions.