Searching for suitable biomarkers for diagnosis of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis is the key for control of Johne's disease. In the current study, two sets of twenty camels each, one infected with paratuberculosis and other normal healthy were executed. The basis for the infection was positive findings of clinical examination, Ziehl Neelsen staining of rectal smear and PCR of extracted bacterial DNA from feces. The present findings revealed significant decrease in total erythrocyte counts (TEC) and hemoglobin concentration (Hb) with significant increase in total leucocytes counts (TLC), packed cell volume (PCV) and neutrophils percentages of infected camels compare to control. A significant decrease in values of total proteins, albumin and glucose with significant elevation of concentration of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and bilirubin and enzyme activities of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyle transferase (GGT) and Glutamic acid dehydrogenase (GLDH) were noted in the serum of infected camels compare to control. Acute phase proteins (APP) namely, haptoglobin (Hp), serum amyloid A (SAA) and fibrinogen (Fb) and proinflammatory cytokines namely, interleukins (1α, 1β, 10, 6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interferon gamma (INF-γ) were significantly increased in infected camel compare to control. Significant decrease in the levels of oxidative stress biomarkers namely, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione concentration (GSH) and catalase (CAT) with significant increase in the levels of Malondialdhyde (MDA) were observed in infected camel compare to control. The present study suggests APP, proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress parameters as additional biomarkers for paratuberculosis in camel.

Key words: Acute phase proteins, Camels, Cytokines, Oxidative stress, Paratuberculosis