INFLAMMATORY MARKERS ASSOCIATED WITH TRAUMA AND INFECTION IN RED-TAILED HAWKS (BUTEO JAMAICENSIS) IN THE USA.

Changes in inflammatory marker concentrations or activity can be used to monitor health and disease condition of domestic animals but have not been applied with the same frequency to wildlife. We measured concentrations or activity of six inflammatory markers (ceruloplasmin, haptoglobin, mannan-binding lectin-dependent complement [MBL/complement], unsaturated iron-binding capacity (UIBC) and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and plasma iron) in apparently healthy and sick or injured Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis). Haptoglobin and ceruloplasmin activities were consistently elevated in sick or injured hawks (2.1 and 2.5 times higher, respectively), and plasma iron concentrations decreased (0.46 times lower), relative to those of healthy birds. There were no differences between healthy and unhealthy hawks in TIBC and UIBC concentrations or MBL/complement activity. Therefore, haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, and plasma iron would be useful inclusions in a panel of inflammatory markers for monitoring health in raptors.

Inflammatory marker profiles in an avian experimental model of aspergillosis.

Aspergillosis is a common infection in avian species, but can be a challenge to diagnose. Inflammatory markers have been successfully used in mammals for diagnostic and monitoring purposes of various diseases. The aim of this study was to identify inflammatory markers that could aid in the diagnosis of aspergillosis in an avian species. Five-week-old Japanese quail were infected experimentally with Aspergillus fumigatus, and inflammatory markers were measured in plasma. In addition, lung tissues were cultured to quantify the fungal burden. Infected quail had higher plasma levels of ceruloplasmin, unsaturated iron-binding capacity (UIBC), iron, and total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and lower levels of haptoglobin, compared with uninfected controls. There were positive linear relationships between A. fumigatus colony-forming units cultured from the lungs of infected quail, and levels of ceruloplasmin, UIBC, and TIBC. Quail that died prior to the end of the experiment (day 10 post-infection) had higher ceruloplasmin, UIBC, and TIBC, and lower haptoglobin levels than infected quail that survived. The inflammatory marker profile in quail infected with aspergillosis in this study differs from that seen in mammals, and from the pattern of inflammatory markers seen in birds with bacterial infections. Inflammatory markers could prove useful for diagnosing aspergillosis in birds, and for monitoring disease progression in infected avian species.