Acute-phase proteins in small animals

Authors: Rossie G
Publication: Australian Veterinary Practitioner, Volume 49, Issue 2, pp 44-45, Jun 2019
Publisher: Australian Veterinary Association

Animal type: Cat, Dog
Subject Terms: Animal remedies/veterinary medicines, Immune system/immunology, Inflammation, Protein
Article class: Clinical Report

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Abstract:

Acute-phase proteins (APPs) are blood proteins, synthesised in the liver in response to release of proinflammatory cytokines as part of the acute-phase reaction (APR), which is a series of pathophysiological events that occur in an animal exposed to infection, inflammation, trauma or other stimuli. APPs are not useful to identify the source of the APR, but are specific for inflammation. A single measurement at admission does not correlate with the prognosis. One of the main advantages of the APPs is their 'real-time' secretion in a cytokine-dependent pathway. Because APPs are not stored, as soon as the inflammatory process is in regression, the APPs progressively decrease up to the baseline value. For this reason, APPs are extremely useful to assess treatment response to inflammation.

KEYWORDS: acute-phase reaction; C-reactive protein; immune system; inflammation

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