Acute phase proteins in cattle

The discovery of new biomarkers which allow the clinical monitoring of different diseases is nowadays encouraged in order to improve the diagnosis, evaluation, treatment and therapeutics in each phase of the disease. Therefore, the use of acute phase proteins in the diagnosis and their application in the monitoring of treatment is considered as one of the most interesting applications of these proteins. Although a wide range of studies have been carried out to determine the role of acute phase proteins in several diseases, there is still necessity for the evaluation of their usefulness in some pathological conditions, e.g. claw disorders and hoof diseases. Therefore, the acute phase response and clinical application of acute phase proteins in cattle diseases, predominantly in cattle with hoof diseases and lameness are discussed and evaluated in this article.