Serum haptoglobin concentration and liver enzyme activity as indicators of systemic inflammatory response syndrome and survival of sick calves.
Authors: Jaramillo Camilo, Renaud David L, Arroyo Luis G, Kenney Daniel G, Gamsjaeger Lisa, Gomez Diego E
Journal: Journal of veterinary internal medicine
Summary
# Editorial Summary Acute phase proteins and hepatic enzymes have shown prognostic value in critically ill horses and humans, but their utility in neonatal cattle remains unclear. This eight-year retrospective analysis of 102 calves under 30 days old admitted to a teaching hospital examined whether serum haptoglobin and glutamic dehydrogenase (GLDH) could predict systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) or survival outcomes. Neither marker distinguished between SIRS and non-SIRS calves (haptoglobin: 0.29 g/L versus 0.22 g/L, P = 0.62; GLDH: 12 U/L versus 9 U/L, P = 0.2), nor did either independently predict mortality. Clinical assessment parameters proved more prognostically valuable: absent suckle reflex, bradycardia (<100 bpm), tachycardia (>140 bpm), neutropenia (<1.7 × 10⁹/L), and elevated gamma-glutamyl transferase activity were all significantly associated with nonsurvival. For equine and small ruminant practitioners accustomed to using acute phase proteins as clinical decision-making tools, this finding highlights important species differences in inflammatory response patterns and suggests that neonatal cattle warrant different prognostic frameworks. Traditional clinical indicators—particularly cardiovascular stability, neurological reflexes, and white cell status—remain more reliable predictors of outcome than laboratory markers of systemic inflammation in this population.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Serum haptoglobin and GLDH should not be used as prognostic indicators for survival in sick calves in clinical practice
- •Clinical assessment of suckle reflex, heart rate abnormalities, neutrophil count, and gamma-glutamyl transferase activity are more reliable predictors of calf survival than these two biomarkers
- •Results highlight that biomarkers associated with poor outcomes in other species (horses, humans) do not necessarily translate to cattle, requiring species-specific prognostic tools
Key Findings
- •Serum haptoglobin concentration was not significantly different between SIRS and non-SIRS calves (0.29 g/L vs 0.22 g/L, P=0.62)
- •GLDH activity was not significantly different between SIRS and non-SIRS calves (12 U/L vs 9 U/L, P=0.2)
- •Absent suckle reflex (HzR: 6.44), abnormal heart rate <100 bpm (HzR: 12.2) or >140 bpm (HzR: 3.59), neutropenia <1.7×10⁹/L (HzR: 7.36), and elevated gamma-glutamyl transferase were predictive of nonsurvival
- •Haptoglobin and GLDH cannot be recommended for survival prediction in sick calves despite their association with survival in other species