The Porcine Acute Phase Response to Infection with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. Haptoglobin, C-Reactive Protein, Major Acute Phase Protein and Serum Amyloid A Protein Are Sensitive Indicators of Infection

• Published in: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Vol. 119; no. 2; pp. 365 - 373
• Main Authors: Heegaard, Peter M.H, Klausen, Joan, Nielsen, Jens Peter, González-Ramón, Nieves, Piñeiro, Matilde, Lampreave, Fermin, Alava, Maria A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Inc 01.02.1998
• Subjects: Actinobacillus Infections - blood; Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae; Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infection; Acute-Phase Proteins - metabolism; Acute-Phase Reaction; Animals; C-reactive protein (CRP); C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; haptoglobin; Haptoglobins - metabolism; major acute phase protein (MAP); Male; pig; Sensitivity and Specificity; serum amyloid A protein (SAA); Serum Amyloid A Protein - metabolism; Swine; C-reactive protein (CRP); major acute phase protein (MAP); MAP, major acute phase protein; pig; Ap, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae; serum amyloid A protein (SAA); p.i., postinoculation; SEM, standard error of mean; SAA, serum amyloid A protein; SDS-PAGE, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; CRP, C-reactive protein; haptoglobin; Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae infection; acute phase reaction
• ISSN: 1096-4959; 1879-1107
• DOI: 10.1016/S0305-0491(97)00362-3

In an experimental infection model mimicking acute Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (Ap) infection in swine (Sus scrofa) by aerosol inoculation, the development of a number of typical clinical signs was accompanied by a prototypic acute phase reaction encompassing fever and an acute phase protein response peaking at around 2 days after infection. Haptoglobin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and major acute phase protein (MAP) responded with large increases in serum levels, preceding the development of specific antibodies by 4–5 days. Serum amyloid A protein (SAA) was also strongly induced. The increase, kinetics of induction and normalization were different between these proteins. It is concluded that experimental Ap-infection by the aerosol route induces a typical acute phase reaction in the pig, and that pig Hp, CRP, MAP, and SAA are major acute phase reactants. These findings indicate the possibility of using one or more of these reactants for the nonspecific surveillance of pig health status.