April 27, 2023

Researchers discover biomarkers for detecting liver abscesses in live cattle

Two researchers from Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine has discovered that biochemicals specific to liver abscesses could be used as biomarkers in live cattle to detect liver abscesses, Beef Magazine reported.

Raghavendra Amachawadi, associate professor of food animal therapeutics in the university's clinical sciences department, said cattle with liver abscesses do not exhibit clinical signs, and the abscesses are only detected during processing.

He said the goal was to identify biochemicals by conducting a comprehensive metabolites analysis, known as metabolomics, of purulent materials from liver abscesses.

Amachawadi and TG Nagaraja, university distinguished professor of microbiology in the department of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology, led a multidisciplinary team whose findings are now published as "Metabolome of purulent materials of liver abscesses from crossbred cattle and Holstein steers fed finishing diets with or without in-feed tylosin" in the Journal of Animal Science.

Nagaraja said the main reason they conducted the study was because there is no diagnostic test that detects whether an animal has an abscessed liver or not, as liver abscess is only seen after the animal has died.

He said people have tried a variety of diagnostic methods, but none of them are effective in detecting liver abscesses in live animals, so their primary goal was to develop a diagnostic test.

This research, according to Nagaraja, will most likely result in the identification of a biomarker in the blood that indicates the animal's liver is abscessed while it is still alive.

Typically, an abscess is not discovered until the cattle die after three to five months in the feedlot. Cattle develop the problem during this three-to-five-month period. The discovery of the biomarker may accelerate intervention testing.

The current study is the first step in developing a diagnostic test for live animals, and it has led the researchers to create a comprehensive biochemical analysis with material collected from liver abscesses. Overall, 759 biochemicals were detected in the sample. In the paper, the researchers describe these biochemicals and how they help identify the causes of liver abscesses. All samples used in the study were taken from naturally occurring abscesses found on the livers of deceased animals.