Two major ruminant acute phase proteins, haptoglobin and serum amyloid A, as serum biomarkers during active sheep scab infestation

Wells, B., Innocent, G. T., Eckersall, P. D. , Mcculloch, E. , Nisbet, A. J. and Burgess, S. T. (2013) Two major ruminant acute phase proteins, haptoglobin and serum amyloid A, as serum biomarkers during active sheep scab infestation. Veterinary Research, 44(1), p. 103. (doi: 10.1186/1297-9716-44-103)

Abstract

Two ruminant acute phase proteins (APPs), haptoglobin (Hp) and serum amyloid A (SAA), were evaluated as serum biomarkers (BMs) for sheep scab–a highly contagious ectoparasitic disease caused by the mite Psoroptes ovis, which is a major welfare and production threat worldwide. The levels of both APPs increased in serum following experimental infestation of sheep with P. ovis, becoming statistically significantly elevated from pre-infestation levels at 4 weeks post-infestation. Following successful treatment of infested sheep with an endectocide, Hp and SAA serum levels declined rapidly, with half lives of less than 3 days. In contrast, serum IgG levels which specifically bound the P. ovis-derived diagnostic antigen Pso o 2 had a half-life of 56 days. Taking into account pre-infestation serum levels, rapidity of response to infestation and test sensitivity at the estimated optimum cut-off values, SAA was the more discriminatory marker. These studies illustrated the potential of SAA and Hp to indicate current sheep scab infestation status and to augment the existing Pso o 2 serological assay to give disease-specific indications of both infestation and successful treatment.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Eckersall, Professor David and Innocent, Dr Giles and Mcculloch, Miss Eilidh
• Authors: Wells, B., Innocent, G. T., Eckersall, P. D., Mcculloch, E., Nisbet, A. J., and Burgess, S. T.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Veterinary Research
• Publisher: BioMed Central
• ISSN: 0928-4249
• ISSN (Online): 1297-9716
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2013 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Veterinary Research 44(1):103
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License