title: Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) in horses: the effect of aging, sex, delivery and inflammations on its concentration.
abstract: The serum concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) in horses was measured by single radial immunodiffusion (SRID) using rabbit anti-equine CRP serum to evaluate the significance of CRP as an acute-phase reactive protein. In serum samples of clinically normal newborn thoroughbred foals before being given colostrum, serum CRP was not detectable (less than or equal to 1 microgram/ml). The serum CRP concentration was found to increase quickly and reach a peak level of approximately 14.1 micrograms/ml in 12-month-old horses. Then, it decreased gradually to reach a low value of 5.4 micrograms/ml in the 4-year-old. In horses over 5-year-old, serum CRP concentration was stable at values of 7 to 8 micrograms/ml. In mares during the peri-natal period, serum CRP concentration decreased at 2 months before delivery, showed moderate changes just before and after delivery, and then increased to relatively high level by 2 months after delivery. The concentration of serum CRP was found to be increased at 24 hours after experimentally inflammatory stimuli in adult horses, and reached peak values of 3 to 6 times as high as the base line values at 3 to 5 days. Serum CRP concentration returned to base line values by 2 to 3 weeks after treatments. It is clear from these data that CRP is one of the acute-phase reactive proteins in horses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujinaga
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okumura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takiguchi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsunoda
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mizuno
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000097:blood; D006736:Horses / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary*; D007582:Jejunostomy / Q000662:veterinary; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009919:Orchiectomy / Q000662:veterinary; D011184:Postoperative Period; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D002097:C-Reactive Protein