Serum iron concentration as a marker of inflammation in young cows that underwent dehorning surgery

Abstract

The systemic reaction to proinflammatory cytokines is the production and secretion of acute phase proteins (APPs) by the liver. The common APPs measured in cattle are haptoglobin (Hp), serum amyloid A (SAA), lipopolysaccharide binding protein, alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein, and transferrin. Iron (Fe) plays important roles in many enzymatic activities, and is an essential trace element for the host and pathogen. Previous studies have demonstrated that the serum Fe concentration decreases in acute traumatic reticuloperitonitis and mastitis in cows. Therefore, the relationship between inflammation and the serum Fe concentration may be useful for the evaluation of the host response to inflammation during surgery because measurement of the serum Fe concentration is cheap and easy to perform. However, comparative studies have not been conducted regarding the serum Fe concentration in cattle that underwent surgery. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to measure changes in the serum Fe concentration in cows that underwent dehorning surgery in order to assess the usefulness of the serum Fe concentration as a marker of inflammation.