Two major ruminant acute phase proteins,haptoglobin and serum amyloid A,as serum biomarkers during active sheep scab infestation |
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| Authors: | Beth Wells Giles T Innocent Peter D Eckersall Eilidh McCulloch Alasdair J Nisbet Stewart TG Burgess |
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| Institution: | 1.Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Midlothian EH26 0PZ, UK;2.Biomathematics & Statistics Scotland (BioSS), King’s Buildings, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JZ, UK;3.University of Glasgow, Sir Graeme Davies Building, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK;4.Reactivlab Ltd, Garscube Estate, Bearsden Rd, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK |
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| 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. |
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