Sadao Yamaoka

Studies on Abnormal Cases of Serum Protein in Race Horses

Serum protein electrophoresis has been performed in race horses since 6 years ago by means of the Standard Procedure of Cellulose Acetate Electro phoresis established by the Japanese Society of Electrophoresis. In these studies, 59 race horses classified by the groups of diseases were examined for the characteristics of their serum protein fractions. They manifested clearly abnormal clinical signs and showed an albumin/globulin ratio of below 1.0. Besides, the rise and fall of the serum protein fractions were examined in four cases of experimental suppurative carpoarthritis, exper imentally inoculated equine infectious anemia, equine ascariosis, and laminitis, respectively. Taking the above-mentioned findings into consideration, the movement of the serum proteins was studied in each group of diseases and the following results were obtained. 1) In two groups of horses of clinically suspected bacterial infection and laminitis, respectively, there were a decrease in the value of albumin and an increase in the value of globulin, especially fl-and -globulin, the albumin/ globulin ratio was remarkably low and the serum protein was high in value. These tendencies of the serum protein were outstanding in the exudative diseases. 2) In a group of malnutrition and equine ascariosis, there was a decrease in the value of albumin and an increase in the value of a-globulin, the albumin/globulin ratio was slightly low, and the serum protein was low in value. In some severe cases of this group, there was a tendency that hypo proteinemic edema was apt to occure at the legs.