Comparison of the Serum Protein Electrophoretic Pattern and Concentrations of Acute Phase Proteins in Bitches with and Without Mammary Gland Tumors

Alterations in the serum protein pattern may be associated with many diseases, including neoplastic processes. In veterinary medicine, these changes are poorly understood. Therefore, this study was aimed at the analysis of the distribution of blood serum protein fractions separated by agarose gel electrophoresis, and at the determination of the concentrations of main acute phase proteins in bitches with mammary gland neoplasia. The evaluation was conducted on twelve female dogs with palpable single or multiple nodules in the parenchyma of the mammary gland and on ten tumor-free clinically healthy bitches to compare the possible differences in the obtained results. Blood serum was used to perform agarose gel electrophoresis of the main blood serum protein fractions and to analyze the concentrations of total serum proteins and the following canine acute phase proteins: serum amyloid A, haptoglobin, C-reactive protein and α1-acid glycoprotein. The concentrations of total serum proteins were slightly higher in bitches with mammary gland tumors. Serum protein electrophoresis showed lower mean concentrations of albumin and α1-globulins in the affected dogs, while the concentrations of α2- and β1-globulins were significantly higher (P=0.0032 and P=0.0021, respectively) compared to dogs without mammary gland tumors. In the concentrations of acute phase proteins, significantly higher mean concentrations of C-reactive protein and haptoglobin were obtained in dogs with mammary tumors (P=0.0025 and P=0.0002, respectively). The values of α1-acid glycoprotein did not vary markedly between the bitches with and without mammary tumors. Presented data suggest that neoplastic processes in the mammary gland may also alter the electrophoretic pattern of blood serum proteins and induce changes in the production of some inflammatory proteins.