Study of changes in serum amyloid A (SAA) and haptoglobin during inflammation induced by turpentine injection in Caspian miniature horses

The host response to infections and inflammatory conditions entitled acute phase response is a highly organized physiological reaction during which the concentrations of acute phase proteins change significantly. These changes in APP concentrations could be used as an index for the intensity and severity of infections and inflammations and the prognosis of diseases, health monitoring and the mode of host response to infection and/or treatment. In the present study the changes of SAA and Hp (as the major APPs in horses) have been studied in health and following turpentine injection in Khazar miniature horses. 30 miniature horses were categorized into two groups. The first group (n=15) received 5cc of turpentine subcutaneously and the second group (n=15) received the same volume of normal saline. Blood samples were taken at 0, 4, 8, 16, 24, 48, 72, and 144 hours post injection. The ranges of SAA and Hp concentrations were 0-56.58 (mean=8.5 mg/l) and 0.41-2.95 (mean=1.53 g/l), respectively. The changes in SAA and Hp at different studied times were highly significant (P<0.001). The cut-points of Hp at 4, 48, 72, 144 hours post injection were 1.35, 1.43, 2.14 and 3.10 g/l, respectively and the cut-points of SAA were 52.8, 1517.3, 162.8, 479.5 mg/L, respectively at the same times. The results of this study show that SAA and Hp could be useful markers for health monitoring and evaluation of infectious and inflammatory conditions in Khazar miniature horses.