title: Serum folate, cobalamin, homocysteine and methylmalonic acid concentrations in pigs with acute, chronic or subclinical Lawsonia intracellularis infection.
abstract: Lawsonia intracellularis is the causative agent of porcine proliferative enteropathy. The clinical presentation can be acute (i.e. proliferative hemorrhagic enteropathy, PHE), chronic (i.e. porcine intestinal adenomatosis, PIA) or subclinical. In humans with chronic enteropathies, low serum folate (vitamin B(9)) and cobalamin (vitamin B(12)) concentrations have been associated with increased serum concentrations of homocysteine and methylmalonic acid (MMA), which reflect the availability of both vitamins at the cellular level. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum folate, cobalamin, homocysteine and MMA concentrations in serum samples from pigs with PHE, PIA or subclinical L. intracellularis infection, and in negative controls. Serum folate, cobalamin, homocysteine and MMA concentrations differed significantly among pigs in the PHE, PIA, subclinical and negative control groups. Serum folate concentrations in the PHE and PIA groups were lower than in the subclinical and negative control groups, while serum cobalamin concentrations were lower in the PIA group than in other groups. Serum concentrations of homocysteine were higher in the PHE, PIA and subclinical groups than in the negative control group. Serum concentrations of MMA were higher in the subclinical and PIA groups than in the control group. These data suggest that pigs infected with L. intracellularis have altered serum cobalamin, folate, homocysteine and MMA concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA. Electronic address: tierarztbz@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Grützner
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Connie J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Gebhart
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Bruce D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Lawhorn
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Jan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Suchodolski
authors.affiliation: Gastrointestinal Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Jörg M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Steiner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058345:Asymptomatic Infections; D045824:Desulfovibrionaceae Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D020639:Lawsonia Bacteria / Q000502:physiology*; D008764:Methylmalonic Acid / Q000097:blood; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D008764:Methylmalonic Acid; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12
keywords: Homocysteine; Methylmalonic acid; porcine proliferative enteropathy; swine; vitamin B(12); vitamin B(9)