Acute phase protein concentrations in retired racing Greyhounds

Abstract

Background: Retired racing Greyhounds are popular as pets. Greyhounds have several differences in physiological values compared with other breeds, including lower serum a- and b-globulin concentrations. We hypothesized that lower acute phase protein (APP) concentrations could contribute to lower a- and b-globulin concentrations in this breed. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare serum concentrations of several APPs in Greyhounds with those of other dog breeds. Methods: We measured the serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), haptoglobin (Hp), acid-soluble glycoprotein (ASG), ceruloplasmin (CP), and serum amyloid A (SAA) in 15 clinically healthy retired racing Greyhounds and 11 age- and gender-matched healthy nonGreyhound controls using previously validated methods. Results were compared by Student’s t-tests. Results: The concentration of Hp by both colorimetric and immunoturbidimetric methods was significantly lower in Greyhounds than in nonGreyhound dogs (P =.0009 and .019, respectively). The concentration of ASG was also significantly (P =.007) lower in Greyhounds, but CRP and CP concentrations were not significantly different between groups. SAA concentration was below the detection limit of the method in all dogs. Conclusions: The low serum concentrations of Hp and ASG should be taken into consideration when interpreting APP results in Greyhounds. Because both Hp and some ASG migrate in the a-globulin fraction, these results may explain the low a-globulin concentrations in Greyhounds.