Inflammation and necrosis syndrome is associated with alterations in blood and metabolism in pigs

Diagnostic utility of acute phase proteins and their ability to guide antibiotic usage in pigs, horses, and cattle: a mapping review

To mitigate the use of antibiotics for many of the multifactorial diseases seen in pigs, horses and cattle, new diagnostic tools are needed. Acute phase protein (APP) measurements can, in humans, be used to guide antibiotic treatment initiation, evaluate treatment efficacy, and make a prognosis. The aim of this review is to collect evidence on the clinical functionality of APP measurements as a tool to guide antibiotic treatment in pigs, horses, and cattle. Literature was retrieved using Medline, CAB Abstracts and Google Scholar. The acute phase response has been investigated for a plethora of diseases and clinical signs and the major acute phase proteins are elevated in diseased compared to healthy animals. Few studies correlated acute phase response with aetiology, antibiotic treatment efficacy, prognosis, or severity of disease. The existing research does not support that APP can be used to guide antibiotic treatment, but the reported studies indicate that C-reactive protein (CRP) might be able to differentiate between bacterial and non-bacterial causes of disease in pigs. Serum amyloid A (SAA) might reflect underlying aetiology in horses and infectious or non-infectious cases of mastitis in cows.

A Look Inside-Histopathological Examinations of Different Tail Tip Lesions in Dairy Cows

Feedlot cattle are frequently affected by inflammation and necrosis of the tail tips, resulting in impeded animal welfare and economic losses. In a recent study, it was demonstrated that dairy cows are also affected by different lesions of the tail tip, including alopecia, annular constrictions, crusting, scaling and swelling. Despite the frequent occurrence of these lesions, the underlying etiology and pathomechanisms are unclear to date. To gain insight into this malady, we histopathologically examined 16 tail tips of slaughtered dairy cows, representing the entire range of different lesions. While macroscopically alopecic areas were characterized by the formation of granulation tissue in the dermis with an inconspicuous epidermis, we found not only dermal granulation tissue but also purulent-necrotizing inflammation with the breakdown of the basement membrane in encrusted lesions. Interestingly, in some cases, we found areas of coagulation necrosis of the epidermal and dermal layers in the crusts. Tails with macroscopical scaling were affected by ortho- and/or parakeratotic hyperkeratosis, and, in tails with macroscopical swelling, we observed a low-protein edema of the central longitudinal connective tissue of the tail. We conclude that the observed lesions might be caused by ischemia of the skin in the distal parts of the tail.

GWAS reveals genomic associations with swine inflammation and necrosis syndrome

The recently identified swine inflammation and necrosis syndrome (SINS) occurs in high prevalence from newborn piglets to fattening pigs and resembles an important concern for animal welfare. The primary endogenous syndrome affects the tail, ears, teats, coronary bands, claws and heels. The basis of clinical inflammation and necrosis has been substantiated by histopathology, metabolomic and liver transcriptomic. Considerable variation in SINS scores is evident in offspring of different boars under the same husbandry conditions. The high complexity of metabolic alterations and the influence of the boar led to the hypothesis of a polygenic architecture of SINS. This should be investigated by a genome-wide association study. For this purpose, 27 sows were simultaneously inseminated with mixed semen from two extreme boars. The mixed semen always contained ejaculate from a Pietrain boar classified as extremely SINS susceptible and additionally either the ejaculate from a Pietrain boar classified as SINS stable or from a Duroc boar classified as SINS stable. The 234 piglets were phenotyped on day 3 of life, sampled and genetically assigned to the respective boar. The piglets showed the expected genetic differentiation with respect to SINS susceptibility. The suspected genetic complexity was confirmed both in the number and genome-wide distribution of 221 significantly associated SNPs, and led to 49 candidate genes. As the SNPs were almost exclusively located in noncoding regions, functional nucleotides have not yet been identified. The results suggest that the susceptibility of piglets to SINS depends not only on environmental conditions but also on genomic variation.

Acute phase proteins in cattle and swine: A review

The major acute phase proteins (APPs) in cattle are haptoglobin (Hp) and serum amyloid A (SAA), and in swine, are Hp, SAA, C-reactive protein (CRP), and Pig major acute phase protein (Pig-MAP). Many methodologic assays are presently available to measure these parameters, which are still being improved to increase their specificity, sensitivity, user-friendliness, and economic availability. In cattle, the main applications are the diagnosis and monitoring of frequent diseases such as mastitis and metritis in dairy cows and respiratory problems in young calves. In pigs, APPs are useful in the control of bacterial and viral infections, and they may be used at the slaughterhouse to monitor subclinical pathologies and improve food safety. The utility of APP in animal production must not be forgotten; optimization of protocols to improve performance, welfare, and nutrition may benefit from the use of APPs. Other sample types besides serum or plasma have potential uses; APP determination in milk is a powerful tool in the control of mastitis, saliva is a non-invasive sample type, and meat juice is easily obtained at the slaughterhouse. Increasing our knowledge of reference intervals and the influence of variables such as age, breed, sex, and the season is important. Finally, worldwide harmonization and standardization of analytical procedures will help to expand the use of APPs.

Entzündungs- und Nekrosesyndrom des Schweins (SINS) – eine Übersicht

Entzündungen und Teilverluste des Schwanzes treten in hoher Frequenz auf und müssen bekämpft werden, wenn das Tierwohl beim Schwein verbessert werden soll. Dabei greift die alleinige Berücksichtigung des Schwanzbeißens zu kurz. Entzündungen und Nekrosen des Schwanzes treten regelmäßig auch ohne Zutun anderer Schweine auf. Der Nachweis entsprechender Veränderungen bereits zum Zeitpunkt der Geburt, das gehäuft synchrone Auftreten an so verschiedenen Körperlokalisationen wie Schwanz, Ohren, Zitzen, Klauen und anderen Partien, sowie der pathohistologische Nachweis Blutgefäß-assoziierter Veränderungen sprechen für eine primär endogene Ursache und ein Syndrom, auch wenn die Symptomatik mit Umweltfaktoren interagiert. Die Veränderungen können bei Saug- und Absatzferkeln sowie in der Mast beobachtet werden. Die Verbesserung der Umwelt kann zu erheblicher Reduktion von Entzündungen und Nekrosen führen. Gleichzeitig zeigen sich erhebliche genetische Effekte der Eber und Sauen. Der vorliegende Übersichtsartikel beleuchtet alle bislang bekannten Facetten von SINS (Swine Inflammation and Necrosis Syndrome) und gibt einen Einblick in die Eckpunkte der Pathogenese. Das Bewusstsein für ein neues und vom Schwanzbeißen abzugrenzendes Krankheitsbild soll einen Beitrag zu dessen Bekämpfung und somit zur Steigerung des Tierwohls beim Schwein leisten.

Auswirkungen eines SINS (Swine inflammation and necrosis syndrome) auf Blutparameter beim Ferkel

Das swine inflammation and necrosis syndrome (SINS) kann zu klinisch erfassbaren Veränderungen an der Haut betroffener Schweine führen. Ziel dieser Studie war es herauszufinden, ob es bestimmte Blutparameter gibt, die als signifikante und spezifische Marker für das Vorliegen einer SINS genutzt werden können.