Concentration of Serum Transferrin in Sick Horses and its Relationship to Serum Albumin Content

Studies of transferrin (Tf) concentration in sera of sick horses were carried out using Mancini’s immunodiffusion technique. Relative values against a chosen reference serum were determined for a total of 112 horses.Horses with acute infections had Tf values significantly below the normal. The lowest individual Tf value in this group (46%) was found in a six-months-old foal with temperature 41°C and watery diarrhoea.Horses suffering from acute laminitis also had decreased Tf values. The lowest value in the whole material (45%) was found in a horse belonging to this group.There was a positive correlation between the Tf value and the albumin content in serum.