Serum Alpha-fetoprotein in Rabbits Experimentally Infected with Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus

Abstract

To investigate the change in serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and its correlation with liver enzymes in hepatitis caused by rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), 15-week-old rabbits were experimentally infected with a Taiwan field isolate of the virus. After RHDV inoculation, it was observed that serum AFP increased significantly (p = 0.0082) together with significant elevation in serum aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (gamma-GT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Rabbits that died tended to have high AFP values prior to death, the mean value being 4.22 +/- 1.61 ng/ml (n = 6). By correlation analysis, AFP significantly correlated more strongly to ALP than gamma-GT, but non-significantly with AST and ALT. This is the first report of serum AFP elevation being associated with RHDV infection. Thus, measurement of serum AFP might be a useful complementary index for RHDV infectivity and prognosis.