EFFECT OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS INFECTION ON THE SERUM AMYLOID A AND IRON LEVELS IN RABBITS

Abstract

The present study was conducted to examine the changes in serum amyloid A (SAA) and iron concentrations during Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infection in rabbits. The experimental procedures were carried out with 12 male New Zealand white healthy rabbits, divided into two equal groups - experimental group (n=6, rabbits infected with S.. aureus) and control group (n=6, uninfected animals). Blood samples were collected at time 0 (before the infection), 24, 48 and 72 hours and also 7 and 14 days after the infection. The results in infected group showed a significant increase in the levels of SAA at the 24th hour (p<0.001), 48th hour (p<0.05), and 72th hour (p<0.05) post-infection with mean levels 72.13 ± 23.29 µg/mL, 37.57 ± 31.55 µg/mL and 18.03 ± 15.15 µg/mL respectively. The iron concentration decreased at the 24th hour and 14th day post-infection, reaching values of 178.8 ± 87.2 μg/dL (p<0.01) and 123.33 ± 17.8 μg/dL (p<0.05) respectively. In conclusion changes in SAA and Fe levels may be used as valuable biochemical indicators for the diagnosis and prognosis of staphylococcosis in rabbits.