Two major ruminant acute phase proteins, haptoglobin and serum amyloid A, as serum biomarkers during active sheep scab infestation

Table 4 Serum Hp and SAA concentrations during common sheep diseases and conditions

Infection/Condition	Mean Hp (mg/mL)	Mean SAA (μg/mL)
Early gestation^a (n = 10)	0.33 ± 0.01	9.34 ± 2.14
Late gestation^b (n = 10)	0.52 ± 0.08	17.09 ± 7.77
Gastro-intestinal nematodes^c (n = 6)	0.04 ± 0.03	0.30 ± 0.01
Liver Fluke (Fasciola hepatica)^d (n = 6)	2.85 ± 0.02	0.22 ± 0.01
Sucking lice (Linognathus spp.)^e (n = 4)	0.52 ± 0.51	68.47 ± 22.33
Chewing lice (Bovicola ovis)^e (n = 4)	0.65 ± 0.31	193.36 ± 135.81
Orf (n = 6)^f	0.21 ± 0.01	0.93 ± 0.53
Johnes disease^g (n = 6)	2.25 ± 0.34	21.43 ± 10.47

Hp (mg/mL ± SEM) measured by colorimetric assay (ReactivLab) and SAA (μg/mL ± SEM) assessed by SAA ELISA (Tridelta Development Ltd). All samples were assayed for individual animals in duplicate. ^aEarly gestation was within 1 week of conception and ^blate gestation was 1 week prior to expected lambing date (samples from Moredun Research Institute (MRI)). ^cSamples from sheep with field-acquired gastro-intestinal nematode (GIN) infections were from Firth Mains Farm, UK (MRI); species included Teladorsagia circumcincta and Nematodirus battus.^dSamples were taken from UK sheep with field-acquired infections of liver fluke (samples provide by Dr H McDougall, MRI); ^esamples from lice infected but P. ovis-uninfested sheep (provided by Prof. N. Sargison, R(D)SVS, UK; ^fsamples from sheep infected experimentally with orf virus or ^gMycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MRI).

ISSN: 1297-9716