The Veterinary Record, Vol 140, Issue 1, 17-18
Copyright © 1997 by British Veterinary Association

Antithrombin-III activity in plasma of healthy and sick cattle

¹ Clinic of Internal Medicine of Ruminants and Horses, Department of Internal Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
² Clinical Laboratory, Department of Internal Veterinary Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland

Antithrombin-III (AT-III) activity was determined in the plasma of 32 healthy cows. The range of activities was between 105 and 160 per cent of a human reference plasma; the median activity was 132·5 per cent, and the 5 per cent and the 95 per cent quartiles were 111·1 per cent and 153·9 per cent of the standard. The activity of AT-III was also determined in 82 cows with a variety of internal diseases. In cows with hepatopathy, acute enteritis, generalised peritonitis, blood loss, idiopathic cardiomyopathy, glomerulonephritis and disseminated coagulopathy, the activity of AT-III was lower than in healthy animals. The lower values were due to decreased synthesis, increased consumption, or the loss of AT-III. An acquired deficiency of AT-III appears to favour the development of thrombophlebitis.