title: Acute phase proteins assessment for an early selection of treatments in growing calves suffering from bronchopneumonia under field conditions.
abstract: Blood samples were taken from calves with respiratory disease the first day of examination for determination of the serum concentration of haptoglobin, fibrinogen, alpha-2- and gamma-globulins, and albumin. A clinical examination was performed daily for the duration of the disease. The animals were retrospectively classified in two categories: those animals requiring no treatment or antibiotics alone (group A), and antibiotics associated to anti-inflammatory drugs (group B). The serum proteins were tested in order to check whether they were able to distinguish, on the first day of clinical examination, between calves requiring anti-inflammatory treatment (group B) or not (group A). About 80% of calves were properly classified in both groups by the combined use of the two serum proteins haptoglobin and fibrinogen: these two proteins, and especially haptoglobin, were useful for the identification of calves requiring an anti-inflammatory treatment.
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Unit, Department of Functional Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Blvd de Colonster, 20, Bât. B 42, 4000 Liège-Sart Tilman, Belgium. mfhumblet@ulg.ac.be
authors.forename: M-F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Humblet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coghe
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lekeux
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Godeau
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000418:Albumins / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001996:Bronchopneumonia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel / Q000662:veterinary; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006242:Haptoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012712:Serum Globulins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000418:Albumins; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D006242:Haptoglobins; D012712:Serum Globulins; D005340:Fibrinogen