Serum amyloid A and plasma protein electrophoresis fractions in farmed white-tailed deer

Abstract

Tools to measure the acute-phase response have been utilized widely in veterinary medicine. Evaluation by plasma protein electrophoresis (PPEP) has become an increasingly common assay in veterinary clinical pathology. Commercial reagents for serum amyloid A (SAA) have been validated for use in a variety of wildlife species. We analyzed samples from 29 healthy fawns and 60 healthy adult farmed white-tailed deer (WTD; Odocoileus virginianus) using an automated assay for SAA and a semi-automated method for PPEP. The robust statistical method for reference interval generation was used. SAA levels in fawns (0.1-26 mg/L) were found to be significantly higher than those in adults (0.1-5 mg/L, p < 0.01). The mean total protein was significantly lower in fawns (48 ± 10 g/L, p < 0.01) than in adults (73 ±5 g/L). The albumin-to-globulin ratio was also lower in fawns (0.56 ± 0.14) than in adults (1.25 ± 0.19, p < 0.01). Changes in SAA levels were observed in a variety of clinically abnormal animals. The combined use of the automated and semi-automated assays in our study may provide an additional valuable assessment tool in the care of captive WTD populations, for research studies, and for monitoring free-ranging animals.

Protein electrophoresis of non‐traditional species: A review

“…When both APP and electrophoretic data are available, the APP results often appear to be comparable or more sensitive in the detection of various clinical issues in a wide range of species, including the white-tailed deer, elephant, pronghorn, elephant seal, koala, rhinoceros, dolphin, and manatee. 76,163,[165][166][167][168][169][170][171][172][173][174] However, in animals with severe inflammation, the combination of both methods to assess the acute-phase response can be helpful; significant differences in albumin, globulins, and APP were demonstrated in injured white rhinoceroses. 32,96,175 As APP reagents do not cross-react with the proteins of all mammals and are not readily available at all labs and the BCG method for albumin quantitation might not be valid, EPH can provide value in routine health assessments, as well as clinical investigations in non-domesticated mammals.…”

Protein Electrophoresis and Haptoglobin Values for Captive Bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus)

“…While RIs using American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology (ASVCP) guidelines for electrophoresis are not available for other antelope species, the current results demonstrated mostly overlapping or similar levels of alpha 1, alpha 2, and beta globulins but higher gamma globulins than domestic cattle (cattle mean values: alpha 1, 0.58 g/dl; alpha 2, 0.58 g/dl; beta, 0.75 g/dl; gamma, 1.67 g/dl) ( 15 ). Compared to white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ), a lower A/G ratio (vs. mean 1.25), lower albumin (vs. mean 3.90 g/dl), and higher gamma globulins (vs. mean 0.72 g/dl) were observed in the bongo ( 18 ). Interestingly, a varying level of gamma globulins in normal bongo at different institutions was observed (data not shown).…”

Acute phase reactants in nondomesticated mammals—A veterinary clinical pathology perspective

“…Based on the findings in red deer and buffalo, haptoglobin appears to be a sensitive indicator of pathogen exposure and may be useful as a complementary test for the detection of subclinical disease, especially tuberculosis. Serum amyloid A appears to be a moderate or major APR in impala, Pronghorn antelope, Iberian and Alpine ibexes, and white‐tailed deer 3,17,37,42,53,86 …”

“…A latex agglutination immunoturbidometric method using a mix of rabbit polyclonal and mouse monoclonal anti-human SAA antibodies (LZ-SAA, Eiken, Japan) has been used most often and has been minimally or partially validated for measurement of SAA in serum of whitetailed deer, bottlenose dolphin, Asian and African elephants, Iberian ibex, Florida manatee, and Grant's zebra. 14,30,32,36,42,43,53 This assay has also been used to detect SAA, without any documentation of assay validation procedures, in healthy Arabian oryx, blackbuck, impala, reindeer, and healthy and diseased cheetah, musk ox, and wallaby. 3,16,20 The LZ-SAA has been reported not to detect SAA in white rhinoceros and sitatunga.…”