I-FABP, Pig-MAP and TNF-alpha as biomarkers for monitoring gut-wall integrity in front of Salmonella Typhimurium and ETEC K88 infection in a weaned piglet model

摘要

Having sensitive serum biomarkers able to determine the structural changes of the small intestine suffering from bacterial digestive diseases could be a valuable tool particularly in piglets at weaning, when intestinal infections are highly prevalent. We evaluated the usefulness of three inflammatory and gut-wall-integrity biomarkers to assess the degree of intestinal histo-morphological damage in piglets. Piglets were orally challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium or enterotoxigenic Escherichia toll (ETEC) to get a variable range of response according to individual variability. Forty-eight piglets were challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium and seventy-two with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88. Clinical signs and faecal score were recorded. At Days 4 and 8 post-inoculation, blood was sampled, animals euthanised and distal ileum dissected. Morphological measures were obtained from the gut tissue, and serum tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), pig major acute-phase protein (Pig-MAP) and intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) were determined.