Technical pre‐analytical effects on the clinical biochemistry of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

Abstract

Clinical biochemistry has long been utilized in human and veterinary medicine as a vital diagnostic tool, but despite occasional studies showing its usefulness in monitoring health status in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.), it has not yet been widely utilized within the aquaculture industry. This is due, in part, to a lack of an agreed protocol for collection and processing of blood prior to analysis. Moreover, while the analytical phase of clinical biochemistry is well controlled, there is a growing understanding that technical pre‐analytical variables can influence analyte concentrations or activities. In addition, post‐analytical interpretation of treatment effects is variable in the literature, thus making the true effect of sample treatment hard to evaluate. Therefore, a number of pre‐analytical treatments have been investigated to examine their effect on analyte concentrations and activities. In addition, reference ranges for salmon plasma biochemical analytes have been established to inform veterinary practitioners and the aquaculture industry of the importance of clinical biochemistry in health and disease monitoring. Furthermore, a standardized protocol for blood collection has been proposed.

Haematological evaluation of sodium fluoride toxicity in oryctolagus cunniculus

“…In humans, hematologic disorders are hypochromic anemia, variation in the size and shape of erythrocytes, presence of Heinz bodies, eosinophilic leukocytosis, lymphopenia, increase in the amount of methemoglobin, and alterations in Hematocrit. [29] , [30] .…”

Selective precipitation reaction: a novel diagnostic test for tissue pathology in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, infected with salmonid alphavirus (SAV3)

“…However, due to the large individual variation seen in blood biochemistry markers such as creatine kinase, the use has so far been limited (Braceland et al . ). Serum total protein has been demonstrated to be a potential marker of health and welfare in farmed fish (Coeurdacier et al .…”

“…It is clear that the SPR assay addresses the sensitivity and specificity issues associated with the current clinical biochemistry techniques available to health professional today (Braceland et al . ). The study has demonstrated that the assay is rapid, sensitive and practical for daily operations.…”

“…The lower variation in SPR in samples from healthy salmon, which had a threefold difference between lower and upper limit of the reference interval, was less than that of creatine kinase which was reported (Braceland et al . ) as having a 10‐fold difference from lower to higher limit (2258–20567 IU L −1 ). The lower variation of the SPR is an advantage in being able to differentiate samples from healthy and diseased fish.…”

“…Reference intervals for clinical biochemistry analytes for these samples were described previously (Braceland et al . ) and were from two further sites in the west of Scotland (UK). The samples were from fish of mixed sex but varied in age with one containing fish around 18 months old and the other containing fish around 24 months of age and with an average weight of 3.5 kg.…”