Biochemical studies on equine infectious anaemia.

A description is given of an outbreak of equine infectious anaemia (E.I.A.) in Campania [at Naples and Aversa (Caserta)]; it was diagnosed by clinical, pathological and serological examinations (Coggins test). Using the serum of 45 horses with E.I.A. and 11 healthy horses (controls), numerous investigations were carried out on: enzymes, intrinsic coagulation factors, lipids and other substances. The results obtained were very interesting and show that in this disease there are significant increases in many enzymes (LDH, LAP, gamma-GT, CPK, PK and ALD) and copper. Insignificant increases were found in other enzymes (SDH, GLDH, MDH, ICDH, AIP, lysozyme, cholinesterase, GOT and GPT) and also intrinsic coagulation factors, lipid substances (total cholesterol, esterified cholesterol, triglycerides) and glucose. LDH-1-isoenzyme remains unchanged, whilst AcP decreases slightly.