The use of acute phase proteins for monitoring animal health and welfare in the pig production chain: The validation of an immunochromatographic method for the detection of elevated levels of pig-MAP

• Published in: Meat science Vol. 95; no. 3; pp. 712 - 718
• Main Authors: Piñeiro, Matilde, Morales, Joaquín, Vizcaíno, Elena, Murillo, José Alberto, Klauke, Thorsten, Petersen, Brigitte, Piñeiro, Carlos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2013
• Subjects: Abattoirs; Acute phase proteins; Acute-Phase Proteins - analysis; Acute-Phase Proteins - metabolism; Animal health; Animal Husbandry; Animal Welfare; Animals; Dipstick; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Food Supply; Immunochromatography - methods; Meat - analysis; Meat - standards; Pig; Pig-MAP; Reproducibility of Results; Swine; Swine Diseases - blood; Swine Diseases - diagnosis; Swine Diseases - pathology; Dipstick; Animal welfare; Animal health; Pig-MAP; Acute phase proteins; Pig
• ISSN: 0309-1740; 1873-4138
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2013.03.013

The serum concentration of acute phase proteins (APPs) increases in the presence of disease or stress, which makes APPs notable parameters for the global assessment of animal health and welfare. A rapid, immunochromatographic test (ICT) for the detection of elevated levels of pig Major Acute-phase Protein (pig-MAP), one of the main APPs in pigs, was evaluated in more than 1400 pig serum samples obtained from commercial farms. The ICT showed a good performance with a relative sensitivity (Sn) and specificity (Sp) of 94 and 97%, respectively, for a threshold of 1.5mg/mL (comparison with ELISA). Differences in the pig-MAP levels and the number of positive samples with the ICT were observed within the season of sampling, farms, and age groups at one farm, according to the presence of disease or lesions. The ICT was also evaluated in blood samples obtained at slaughter in association with the carcase inspection. The results from this study indicate that the ICT may be used for the evaluation of groups of pigs, after analysing one sub-sample of these pigs, and might be a useful tool in routine health and welfare monitoring programmes aimed to improve the quality of pig production. •The serum concentration of pig-MAP increases in presence of disease or stress.•A rapid test for detection of high pig-MAP levels was validated in commercial farms.•The study included growing pigs, replacement gilts and end point analysis at slaughter.•The dipstick test showed a good performance (Sn 94%, Sp 97%, threshold 1.5mg/mL).•Differences in pig-MAP levels were observed between farms, age groups and seasons.