**6. The use of serum protein electrophoresis in bovine clinical practice**

The analysis of serum proteins and their electrophoretic separations have been extensively used in human medicine for many years. Serum protein electrophoresis has been studied intensively also in small animal and equine medicine, especially to support a clinical diagnosis of diseases characterized by dysproteinemia (leishmaniasis, ehrlichiosis, feline infectious peritonitis), or to identify the presence of inflammation with increased α-globulins [76]. In bovine clinical practice, serum protein electrophoresis is a rarely used diagnostic tool.

The diagnostic significance of protein electrophoresis in cows with traumatic pericarditis was evaluated by Yoshida [270]. In the affected cows, slight hypoproteinemia, moderate hypoalbuminemia, and a slight increase of the α- and β-globulin concentrations were observed. In cows with purulent pericarditis, they found a tendency of hypergammaglobulinemia, while fibrinous or sero-fibrinous pericarditis was associated with a large indentation between the β- and γ-fractions. The changes in the electrophoretic pattern of serum proteins and immunoglobulin concentrations were studied also in cows with lymphoma [271]. Moderately increased concentrations of α<sup>2</sup> -globulins were found in these cows, while the β<sup>2</sup> -globulin fraction was significantly decreased due to the lower concentration of immunoglobulins. Recently, Tóthová et al. [252] evaluated the effect of chronic bronchopneumonia on the serum protein pattern in calves. These authors found significantly higher concentrations of α<sup>1</sup> -, β<sup>2</sup> -, and γ-globulins in the affected animals compared with healthy ones. Alterations in the electrophoretic pattern of serum proteins were found also in dairy cows with inflammatory diseases [263]. In this study, *post-partum* metritis was associated with significantly lower concentrations of albumin and higher values of α<sup>1</sup> -globulins compared with clinically healthy cows. The cows with clinical mastitis showed higher β<sup>1</sup> - and γ-globulin fractions, while in cows affected by hoof diseases significantly lower concentrations of albumin and higher values of α<sup>1</sup> -, β<sup>1</sup> -, β<sup>2</sup> -, as well as γ-globulins were found. Furthermore, the serum protein electrophoretic pattern of more than half of the group of cows with hoof diseases showed β-γ bridging [263]. Constantin et al. [272] evaluated the serum protein profile and its changes in cows affected by clinical endometritis, and found lower concentrations of albumin and higher values of α<sup>2</sup> -, as well as γ-globulins.

the correct interpretation of their results are very useful for clinicians in diagnosing healthy and sick animals, and may provide a basis for further specific laboratory investigations. This review suggests that the analysis of serum proteins in ruminants provides still many areas to

The Use of Serum Proteins in the Laboratory Diagnosis of Health Disorders in Ruminants

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.72154

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This work was supported by Scientific Grant Agency of Ministry of Education SR No.

Clinic of Ruminants, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Košice, Slovakia

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**Acknowledgements**

1/0154/15 and 1/0486/17.

**Author details**

**References**
