C-reactive protein and pig major acute phase protein levels are elevated in lame gestating sows

Nadia Jakobsen ^1* Inge Larsen ¹ Nicolai Rosager Weber ² Peter M H Heegaard ³ Ken Steen Pedersen ^1,4

• ¹ Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark
• ² Danish Agriculture and Food Council, Copenhagen, Denmark
• ³ Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
• ⁴ Ø-vet A/S, Næstved, Denmark

Lameness is a common clinical finding in gestating sows and one of the main reasons for early culling and antibiotic treatment. The diagnostic tools are limited but acute phase proteins could be a fast and minimally invasive way to optimize treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate if measurements of APP levels can be used as a diagnostic tool. Elucidating if and which of the major acute phase proteins are elevated in lame gestating sows. To determine this, blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of 50 lame and 50 clinically healthy gestating sows from 12 conventional herds. The samples were analysed for C-reactive protein (CRP), haptoglobin, serum amyloid A and pig major acute phase protein (Pig-MAP) levels using sandwich ELISA. C-reactive protein and Pig-MAP was found to be significantly elevated in lame sows compared to clinically healthy sows (p<0.05). The acute phase protein levels were 22.4 µg/ml and 1.19 mg/ml (lame) and 14.7 µg/ml and 1.06 mg/ml (healthy) for CRP and Pig-MAP, respectively. Acute phase protein levels were not associated with clinical signs of inflammation oin the affected leg(s) and no differences were seen in haematology parameters between lame and healthy gestating sows. In this study lameness was associated with an elevation in C-reactive protein and pig major acute phase protein.