Kovác, GabrielProf. DMV. Gabriel Kovac, DrSc. Dip. ECBHM. was born on 8 Nov. 1947 in Trnava, Slovakia. He was the head of the Department of the Internal Diseases of Ruminants and Swine, later the head of Clinic for Ruminants and Swine. Prof. Kovac is the author or co-author in more than 340 journal papers, more than 86 book chapters, and 43 books.

Acute phase proteins (APPs) have been used as biomarkers of diseases for decades in human medicine, but were relatively under-utilised in the veterinary medicine. Over recent years, significant progress have been made in studies on acute phase response in farm animals and small animals medicine, including the detection, measurement, and application of APPs as biomarkers of diseases. APPs are blood and milk proteins, primarily synthetized by hepatocytes and mammary gland tissue cells as a part of acute phase response. The acute phase response is a complex systemic early-defence system activated by impaired homeostasis, trauma, tissue injury, infection, inflammation, stress or neoplasia. APPs paly important role in the monitoring of health status, effects of treatment and preventive measurements in the animals. On the other hand, they serve as non-specific diagnostic markers of some health disorders.