Decreased Serum Adenosine Deaminase Activity Correlated with Clinical Score and Serum Proteins in Calves with Cryptosporidiosis

Abstract

This study was aimed to investigate serum adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in calves with cryptosporidiosis. Significantly higher serum concentrations of globulin (P<0.01), blood urea nitrogen (P<0.01) and creatinine (P<0.01) were found and significantly lower albumin concentration (P<0.01) and albumin to globulin (A/G) ratio (P<0.001) in calves with cryptosporidiosis compared to healthy calves. Serum adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity was determined as 4.12+/-0.91 U/l; in calves with cryptosporidiosis compared to 10.27+/-1.71 U/l in healthy calves, which was significant at P<0.01 level. Serum ADA was negatively correlated with clinical score (P<0.05), which serum total protein concentration (P<0.05), serum globulin concentration (P<0.01) and serum A/G ratio (P<0.05) were positivity correlated in calves with cryptosporidiosis. From these results we concluded that cryptosporidiosis infection is closely related to low serum ADA activity which correlated with clinical score and serum total protein, globulin and A/G ratio in-calves. The results of the present study indicate possible role of ADA in development and progression of cryptosporidiosis.