CANINE ACUTE-PHASE RESPONSE - RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SERUM CYTOKINE ACTIVITY AND ACUTE-PHASE PROTEIN IN DOGS

The changes in serum activity of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) were studied in dogs with acute inflammation. Dogs with local inflammation induced by an intramuscular injection of turpentine oil showed clinically a typical progression in the inflammatory response, recovering on day 14 after the treatment. Serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) and alpha1 acid glycoprotein (alpha1AG) increased, and the albumin concentration decreased in all dogs during the acute phase response. These values each returned to the normal range from day 14 to 21. Serum IL-6-like activity was detected from 2 hr to day 6 after treatment. Serum TNF-like activity in the treatment group was detected at a low level from 3 to 24 hr after treatment, but there was no statistically significant difference compared with the control group. The temporal changes in serum IL-6 and TNF-like activities preceded those in serum concentrations of CRP, alpha1AG, and albumin. No dogs showed a detectable rise in serum IL-1-like activity after treatment.