Evaluation of serum sialic acid as an inflammation marker in cattle with traumatic reticulo peritonitis

The present study was designed to determine the diagnostic value of serum sialic acid (SA) concentration in cattle with traumatic reticulo-peritonitis (TRP). The study involved 12 cattle with TRP and 12 healthy cattle. Blood samples were collected from cattle for the determination of serum sialic acid, total protein, albumin, globulin concentrations, gluteraldehyde test and total leukocyte count. Mean concentration of total sialic acid (TSA), lipid bound sialic acid (LBSA) and protein bound sialic acid (PBSA) were 1.163 +/- 0.123 g/l 0.615 +/- 0.112 g/l and 0.548 +/- 0.120 g/l for the cattle wit TRP and 0.761 +/- 0.152 g/l, 0.333 +/- 0.102 g/l and 0.428 +/- 0.144 g/l for clinically healthy cattle, respectively. Serum TSA and LBSA concentrations in cattle with TRP were statistically higher (p<0.00 1) than that of healthy cattle. Increases in serum SA values were in parallel with the other inflammation markers (total protein, globulin, glutaraldheyde test, WBC) examined in this study. With a threshold of decision calculated by mean value + 1 standard deviation of control group, sensitivity of TSA and LBSA test were 100% and specificity were 91.7% and 75% respectively. The results may suggest that serum SA concentrations might be a valuable marker for the determination of inflammatory process in TRP.