Acute Phase Proteins Response in Cats Naturally Infected with Hepatozoon Felis and Babesia Vogeli

Background: The measurement of acute phase proteins (APP) is being increasingly used in human and veterinary medicine in diagnosis, prognosis, treatment monitoring, and in general health screening. However, information about the APP response in cats infected with agents of vector-borne diseases is lacking.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to investigate the concentrations of serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp), and paraoxonase-1 (PON1) in cats naturally infected with Hepatozoon felis and Babesia vogeli.

Methods: Serum concentrations of SAA, Hp, and PON1 were determined in 19 cats naturally infected with H felis and in 11 cats naturally infected with B vogeli, and compared to concentrations in 10 healthy control cats.

Results: Serum Hp concentrations were significantly increased, and PON1 concentrations significantly decreased in symptomatic and asymptomatic cats infected with H felis and B vogeli when compared with healthy noninfected cats. In the H felis-infected population, concentrations of SAA and Hp were significantly increased in symptomatic cats when compared with asymptomatic animals.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated differences in APP concentrations in cats infected with H felis and B vogeli. Therefore, Hp and PON1 concentrations could be helpful in discriminating healthy cats from cats with asymptomatic or symptomatic infection by these agents.