Background: The association of inflammatory diseases such as traumatic reticuloperitonitis (TRP), mastitis, metritis, and pododermatitis with renal amyloidosis in cattle is poorly described.
Hypothesis: Serum amyloid A (SAA) levels are elevated during inflammatory diseases, and renal amyloidosis is formed as a complication.
Animals: This study was conducted with 82 crossbred cattle with mastitis (n = 18 cows), metritis (n = 11 cows), TRP (n = 30 cows), and pododermatitis (n = 23 : 15 cows and 8 beef cattle). Ten clinically healthy cows served as controls.
Methods: Hematological, urinary, and blood parameters, including SAA, were measured by an automated procedure provided with trade kits. Determination of amyloidal structures was made by histopathological examination of renal biopsy specimens.
Results: At the end of this trial, amyloidosis was detected in 5 cows displaying typical nephrotic syndrome, with hypoproteinemia and proteinuria in combination with polyuria and weight loss. Furthermore, it was observed that cows with renal amyloidosis had significantly higher (P < .01) total leukocyte counts, serum and urine enzyme activities, and urea and creatinine concentrations, with lower serum total protein concentrations, when compared with animals without renal amyloidosis.
Conclusions and clinical importance: The incidence of AA amyloidosis in cattle in this study suggests that cattle with mastitis, metritis, and pododermatitis have a high prevalence of systemic amyloidosis in response to inflammation.