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The objective of this study was to evaluate serum cobalamin (vitamin B12; COB), folate (vitamin B9; FOL), methylmalonic acid (MMA), and homocysteine (HCT) concentrations in pigs with (proliferative hemorrhagic enteropathy [PHE]), (porcine intestinal adenomatosis [PIA]), or subclinical Lawsonia intracellularis infection.
Serum samples from pigs with acute (PHE: n=10), chronic (PIA: n=10), or subclinical (subclinical: n=10)
clinical signs of proliferative enteropathy were collected. Serum samples from healthy control pigs (control: n=10) were obtained. Serum COB, FOL, MMA and HCT concentrations were measured and compared among the different groups of pigs with proliferative enteropathy and to the control group.
Serum COB concentrations were significantly different among the groups (medians: PHE: 195 ng/L, PIA: 149 ngl/L, subclinical: 169 ng/L, and control: 198 ng/L; p=0.0012). Serum COB concentrations in PIA were significantly lower than in the remaining groups. Serum FOL concentrations were significantly different among the groups (means: PHE: 29.4 μg/L, PIA: 25.5 μg/L, subclinical: 51.9 μg/L, and control: 46.0 μg/L; p<0.0001). The post test showed that serum FOL concentrations in PHE and PIA were significantly lower compared to the group with subclinical proliferative enteropathy and to the control group (all p<0.05). Serum MMA concentrations were also significantly different among the groups (means: PHE: 649.4 μmol/L, PIA: 805.5 μmol/L, subclinical: 1327.0 μmol/L, and control: 351.4 μmol/L; p<0.0001). The post test showed that serum MMA concentrations were significantly higher in pigs with subclinical proliferative enteropathy compared to PHE, PIA, or the control group (all p<0.05). Serum HCT concentrations were significantly different among the groups (means: PHE: 17.9 μmol/L, PIA: 20.7 μmol/L, subclinical: 15.3 μmol/L, and control: 11.0 μmol/L; p<0.0001). The post test showed that serum HCT concentrations were significantly higher in the subclinical, PHE, and PIA proliferative enteropathy groups compared to the control group (p=0.02, p=0.0002, and p<0.0001, respectively).
In this study, serum COB concentrations were lower in pigs with PIA compared to PHE, subclinical proliferative enteropathy, or controls. Pigs with PHE and PIA had decreased serum FOL concentrations and increased serum HCT concentrations compared to pigs with subclinical disease or controls. However, these data suggest that pigs with PIA and PHE have decreased serum COB and FOL, which could influence amino acid metabolism and RNA and DNA synthesis in pigs. Whether supplementation of both vitamins could be beneficial in pigs with L. intracellularis infection requires further studies.
N Grützner, CJ Gebhart, VR Rangachari, DB Lawhorn, JS Suchodolski, JM Steiner. Evaluation of serum folate and cobalamin concentrations in pigs with acute, chronic, or subclinical Lawsonia intracellularis infection. IPVS, 2012.