Impact of single versus multiple infection on serum protein fractions in cats

Serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) is a widely used diagnostic tool for identifying acute and chronic inflammation, as well as immunodeficiencies. However, the impact of co-infections on SPE patterns in cats remains poorly understood. This study explored the utility of SPE in differentiating immune responses between cats infected with a single pathogen and those with multiple co-infections. A total of 79 serum samples from stray European Shorthair cats in Zaragoza, Spain, were analyzed. Fifty cats had a single infection, while 29 were co-infected with 2-4 pathogens. Agarose gel electrophoresis was used to assess protein profiles and statistical analyses were performed to identify significant differences between groups. The results showed no major differences in protein profiles between single and co-infected cats, with polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia being most common in single-pathogen infections. Therefore, these findings indicate that SPE may have limitations in distinguishing between single and multiple infections in cats, contrasting with some previous studies.