Serum iron as indicator of acute inflammation in cattle

Most of bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases of cattle cause acute inflammation. Determination of acute inflammation is crucial in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of the diseases. Total and differential leucocyte counts and acute phase protein analyses used in human being and some animal species for determining of acute inflammation has limited usage in the cattle because of different reasons. The aim of this project is to investigate the sensitivity of serum iron assays in determining of acute inflammation in acute reticuloperitonitis traumatica and acute mastitis known with distinct inflammatuar characteristics.Ten cattle with acute reticuloperitonitis traumatica (RPT Group), 10 cattle with acute mastitis (Mastitis Group) brought to Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Veterinary Faculty, Firat University and 10 healthy cattle (Control Group) from the barns in Elazığ province were used in this study. Hematological examinations, acute phase protein measurements (haptoglobin, serum amiloid A, alpha-1 acid glicoprotein and fibrinogen) and some biochemical analyses including serum iron were taken with the blood samples obtained from the animals.The mean values of serum iron analyse were found as 33,50 µ/dl, 43,70 µ/dl, 149,60 µ/dl in RPT, Mastitis and Control Groups, respectively. The reduced serum iron levels in both RPT and Mastitis Groups compared with Control Group were statistically important.In conclusion, it has been revealed that serum iron analyses could be used as a diagnostic criteria in determining of acute inflammation in cattle with both acute RPT and acute mastitis. Serum iron measurement could find an extensive usage area in the diagnosis of inflammatuar cattle diseases because it has some benefical features such as practical, inexpensive and using option in individual cases.