Serum amyloid A and plasma protein electrophoresis fractions in farmed white-tailed deer

Abstract

Tools to measure the acute-phase response have been utilized widely in veterinary medicine. Evaluation by plasma protein electrophoresis (PPEP) has become an increasingly common assay in veterinary clinical pathology. Commercial reagents for serum amyloid A (SAA) have been validated for use in a variety of wildlife species. We analyzed samples from 29 healthy fawns and 60 healthy adult farmed white-tailed deer (WTD; Odocoileus virginianus) using an automated assay for SAA and a semi-automated method for PPEP. The robust statistical method for reference interval generation was used. SAA levels in fawns (0.1–26 mg/L) were found to be significantly higher than those in adults (0.1–5 mg/L, p < 0.01). The mean total protein was significantly lower in fawns (48 ± 10 g/L, p < 0.01) than in adults (73 ±5 g/L). The albumin-to-globulin ratio was also lower in fawns (0.56 ± 0.14) than in adults (1.25 ± 0.19, p < 0.01). Changes in SAA levels were observed in a variety of clinically abnormal animals. The combined use of the automated and semi-automated assays in our study may provide an additional valuable assessment tool in the care of captive WTD populations, for research studies, and for monitoring free-ranging animals.