Biomarkers in horses are measurable indicators of biological processes, states, or conditions that can be used to assess health and disease. These biomarkers can be identified in various biological samples such as blood, urine, or tissue. They provide valuable information for diagnosing diseases, monitoring health status, and evaluating treatment responses in equine medicine. Common biomarkers in horses include enzymes, hormones, and metabolites, which may change in response to physiological or pathological conditions. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the identification, quantification, and application of biomarkers in equine health and disease management.
Lee S, Baker ME, Clinton M, Taylor SE.Despite many recent advances in imaging and epidemiological data analysis, musculoskeletal injuries continue to be a welfare issue in racehorses. Peptide biomarker studies have failed to consistently predict bone injury. Molecular profiling studies provide an opportunity to study equine musculoskeletal disease. A systematic review of the literature was performed using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines to assess the use of miRNA profiling studies in equine and human musculoskeletal injuries. Data were extracted from 40 papers betw...
Noordwijk KJ, Qin R, Diaz-Rubio ME, Zhang S, Su J, Mahal LK, Reesink HL.Carpal osteochondral fragmentation and subsequent post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) are leading causes of wastage in the equine athlete. Identification of synovial fluid biomarkers could contribute to the diagnosis and understanding of osteoarthritis (OA) pathophysiology. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed metabolic and glycosylation pathways in synovial fluid from healthy horses and horses with naturally occurring carpal OA. Methods: Cross-sectional, in vivo metabolomics and glycomics study. Methods: In cohort 1, carpal synovial fluid (n = 12 horses...
Minamijima Y, Niwa H, Uchida E, Yamamoto K.In the past decade, mass spectrometry has become an important technology for protein identification. Recent developments in mass spectrometry allow a large number of identifications in samples; therefore, mass-spectrometry-based techniques have been applied to the discovery of biomarkers. Here, we conducted a proteomic study to compare the proteomes in sera between healthy Thoroughbreds and Thoroughbreds with respiratory disease associated with transport (RDT). We found that four proteins, apolipoprotein F, lipopolysaccharide binding protein, lysozyme and protein S100-A8, were upregulated, whi...
Keen B, Cawley A, Fouracre C, Pyke J, Fu S.The emergence of novel doping agents is a continuous issue for analysts who aim to maintain the integrity of horseracing together with the well-being and safety of the animals and riders involved. Untargeted mass spectrometric analysis presents a potential improvement for antidoping as it enables the detection of compounds being indirectly affected by an administered drug. In this study, liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry was used to investigate a 12-horse administration study of the synthetic opioid, butorphanol. A mass spectrometric workflow capable of detecting metaboli...
Meeremans M, Van Damme L, De Spiegelaere W, Van Vlierberghe S, De Schauwer C.(1) Background: Tendinopathy is a common injury in both human and equine athletes. Representative in vitro models are mandatory to facilitate translation of fundamental research into successful clinical treatments. Natural biomaterials like gelatin provide favorable cell binding characteristics and are easily modifiable. In this study, methacrylated gelatin (gel-MA) and norbornene-functionalized gelatin (gel-NB), crosslinked with 1,4-dithiotreitol (DTT) or thiolated gelatin (gel-SH) were compared. (2) Methods: The physicochemical properties (H-NMR spectroscopy, gel fraction, swelling ratio, an...
Rossi TM, Kavsak PA, Maxie MG, Pearl DL, Pyle WG, Physick-Sheard PW.Accumulating evidence indicates intense exercise can be associated with myocardial damage. Investigating the impact of maximal effort on myocardium and exploring possible association of injury with rhythm disturbance requires a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin assay. The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the effect of racing on serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in Standardbred horses using a high-sensitivity assay; (2) to determine the 99th percentile of cTnI in healthy horses and investigate the effect of demographic variables on cTnI prevailing pre-race in Standardbred horses us...
Fedorka CE, Ball BA, Walker OF, McCormick ME, Scoggin KE, Kennedy LA, Squires EL, Troedsson MHT.Equine abortions are attributed to both infectious and noninfectious causes. Clinical extrapolations are often made from the experimental model for ascending placentitis towards other causes of fetal compromise, including various markers of inflammation, including the cytokines IL-2, 5, IL-6, IL-10, IFNγ, and TNF. It is unknown if these cytokine changes are noted under field conditions, or if they increase preceding other pregnancy related complications. To assess this, Thoroughbred mares (n = 702) had weekly blood obtained beginning in December 2013 and continuing until parturition. Fet...
Lindåse S, Nostell K, Bergsten P, Forslund A, Bröjer J.Proxies are mathematical calculations based on fasting glucose and/or insulin concentrations developed to allow prediction of insulin sensitivity (IS) and β-cell response. These proxies have not been evaluated in horses with insulin dysregulation. The first objective of this study was to evaluate how fasting insulin (FI) and proxies for IS (1/Insulin, reciprocal of the square root of insulin (RISQI) and the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI)) and β-cell response (the modified insulin-to-glucose ratio (MIRG) and the homeostatic model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β)...
Elashry MI, Baulig N, Wagner AS, Klymiuk MC, Kruppke B, Hanke T, Wenisch S, Arnhold S.Combination of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and biomaterials is a rapidly growing approach in regenerative medicine particularly for chronic degenerative disorders including osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. The present study examined the effect of biomaterial scaffolds on equine adipose-derived MSC morphology, viability, adherence, migration, and osteogenic differentiation. MSCs were cultivated in conjunction with collagen CultiSpher-S Microcarrier (MC), nanocomposite xerogels B30 and combined B30 with strontium (B30Str) biomaterials in osteogenic differentiation medium either under static or...
Sanclemente JL, Rivera-Velez SM, Dasgupta N, Horohov DW, Wood PL, Sanz MG.Many foals that develop thoracic ultrasonographic lesions as a result of Rhodococcus equi infection heal on their own. However, most of these foals receive antimicrobials because foals at risk of developing clinical pneumonia cannot be identified. Untargeted lipidomics is useful to identify candidate biomarkers. Objective: (a) To describe the changes that occur in foal lipidomics as a result of ageing (birth to 8 weeks) and (b) To compare these results with those observed in foals after experimental infection with R. equi. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Healthy newborn foals (n = 9) ...
Fikes KK, Coverdale JA, Leatherwood JL, Campbell JM, Welsh TH, Hartz CJ, Goehring M, Millican AA, Bradbery AN, Wickersham TA.Twenty-seven mature Quarter horses were used in a randomized design to determine the effects of bioactive protein supplementation on gait kinematics and systemic inflammatory markers in a 34-d trial. Treatments consisted of oral doses of 230 g/d of pelleted supplements containing 0 g (CON; = 9), 40 g of bioactive protein (40BP; = 9; LIFELINE, APC, LLC, Ankeny, IA), and 80 g of bioactive protein (80BP; = 9) daily. Horses were fed a commercial concentrate at 0.5% BW (as-fed) and received coastal bermudagrass () hay daily. On day 33, horses consistent in exercise (CON, = 6; 40BP, = 8; 80BP,...
Mrugala D, Leatherwood JL, Morris EF, Dickson EC, Latham CM, Owen RN, Beverly MM, Kelley SF, White-Springer SH.Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) improves oxidative stress and mitochondrial biogenesis in various species but has not been thoroughly investigated in horses. We collected blood and muscle samples from lightly exercising horses before and 6 and 12 wk after receiving either soybean oil (CON; n = 5) or CLA (CLA; n = 5) supplementation. Samples were analyzed for markers of mitochondrial characteristics, antioxidant status, oxidative stress, and muscle damage. Data were analyzed using a linear model with repeated measures. In the triceps brachii (TB), citrate synthase (CS) activity was higher in CON...
Fedorka CE, Ball BA, Wynn MAA, McCormick ME, Scoggin KE, Esteller-Vico A, Curry TE, Kennedy LA, Squires EL, Troedsson MHT.Preterm labor and/or abortion causes considerable economic impact on the equine industry. Unfortunately, few experimental models exist for the induction of various pregnancy-related complications, and therefore extrapolations are made from the experimental model for ascending placentits, although inferences may be minimal. Certain steroid hormones (progestogens, estrogens) and fetal proteins (alpha-fetoprotein; AFP) might improve the diagnostics for abnormal pregnancy, but the utility of these markers in the field is unknown. To assess this, thoroughbred mares (n = 702) were bled weekly begi...
Dalla Costa E, Dai F, Lecchi C, Ambrogi F, Lebelt D, Stucke D, Ravasio G, Ceciliani F, Minero M.Pain in horses is an emergent welfare concern, and its assessment represents a challenge for equine clinicians. This study aimed at improving pain assessment in horses through a convergent validation of existing tools: we investigated whether an effective analgesic treatment influences the horse grimace scale (HGS) and the concentration of specific circulating microRNAs (miRNAs). Eleven stallions underwent routine surgical castration under general anaesthesia. They were divided into two analgesic treatment groups: castration with the administration of preoperative flunixin and castration with ...
Frydendal C, Nielsen KB, Berg LC, van Galen G, Adler DMT, Andreassen SM, Jacobsen S.To investigate neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) concentrations in serum and synovial fluid (SF) from horses with joint inflammation. Methods: Experimental studies and retrospective clinical study. Methods: Serum and SF samples were available from healthy horses (n = 19), clinical cases, and horses with experimental joint inflammation. Clinical cases included horses with (n = 10) or without (n = 10) septic arthritis. Experimental intra-articular inflammation was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS; n = 7, severe inflammation), lidocaine (n = 6, moderate inflammation), or mepivac...
Delarocque J, Reiche DB, Meier AD, Warnken T, Feige K, Sillence MN.Insulin dysregulation (ID) is a key risk factor for equine endocrinopathic laminitis, but in many cases ID can only be assessed accurately using dynamic tests. The identification of other biomarkers could provide an alternative or adjunct diagnostic method, to allow early intervention before laminitis develops. The present study characterised the metabolome of ponies with varying degrees of ID using basal and postprandial plasma samples obtained during a previous study, which examined the predictive power of blood insulin levels for the development of laminitis, in ponies fed a high-sugar diet...
Dockalova H, Zeman L, Horky P.Veterinarians can recommend milk thistle for the treatment of equine liver disease and laminitis. Milk thistle seed cakes were fed in the range of normal feed doses in this study. The milk thistle seed cakes were fed (twice a day) to the experimental group of the horses ( = 5) and biochemical blood markers (TP, Albumin, ALT (alanine transaminase), AST (aspartate transaminase), ALP (alkaline phosphatase), GGT (gamma-glutamyltransferase), Bilirubin, Cholesterol, HDL (high-density lipoprotein), LDL (low-density lipoprotein), TAG (triacylglycerol), BHB (beta-hydroxybutyric acid), NEFA (non-esterif...
Siwinska N, Zak A, Paslawska U.Acute kidney injury (AKI) in horses may develop as a complication of a primary disease or following the administration of nephrotoxic drugs, and may pose a diagnostic challenge. Hence, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the concentrations and diagnostic significance of serum symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) and conventional renal dysfunction biomarkers in healthy horses, horses at risk of developing AKI, and horses with clinically evident AKI. A second aim was to assess how gastrointestinal disease and exposure to potentially nephrotoxic drugs affected SDMA levels. Thirty health...
Castanheira C, Balaskas P, Falls C, Ashraf-Kharaz Y, Clegg P, Burke K, Fang Y, Dyer P, Welting TJM, Peffers MJ.Osteoarthritis remains one of the greatest causes of morbidity and mortality in the equine population. The inability to detect pre-clinical changes in osteoarthritis has been a significant impediment to the development of effective therapies against this disease. Synovial fluid represents a potential source of disease-specific small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) that could aid in the understanding of the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. We hypothesised that early stages of osteoarthritis would alter the expression of sncRNAs, facilitating the understanding of the underlying pathogenesis and potenti...
Unger L, Abril C, Gerber V, Jagannathan V, Koch C, Hamza E.MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are potential biomarkers for equine sarcoids (ES). Objective: To assess eca-miR-331, eca-miR-100, and eca-miR-1 as serum biomarkers for ES disease. Methods: Sixty-eight ES cases (56 horses, 12 donkeys), 69 tumor-free controls (60 horses, 9 donkeys), and 20 horses with other skin tumors. Methods: For this case-control study, expression of serum eca-miR-331, eca-miR-100, and eca-miR-1 in ES-affected equids was compared to tumor-free age-, sex-, and breed-matched control horses and donkeys with other skin tumors using reverse transcription quantitative PCR (polymerase chain rea...
Tuniyazi M, He J, Guo J, Li S, Zhang N, Hu X, Fu Y.Laminitis is a common and serve disease which caused by inflammation and pathological changes of the laminar junction. However, the pathologic mechanism remains unclear. In this study we aimed to investigate changes of the gut microbiota and metabolomics in oligofructose-induced laminitis of horses. Results: Animals submitted to treatment with oligofructose had lower fecal pH but higher lactic acid, histamine, and Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in serum. Meanwhile, oligofructose altered composition of the hindgut bacterial community, demonstrated by increasing relative abundance of Lactobacillus and...
Cheung HW, Wong KS, To NS, Bond AJ, Farrington AF, Prabhu A, Curl P, Wan TSM, Ho ENM.Selective androgen receptor (AR) modulators (SARMs) are potent anabolic agents with a high potential of misuse in horseracing and equestrian sports. In this study, we applied label-free proteomics to discover plasma protein biomarkers in geldings (castrated horses) after administration with a popular SARM named RAD140. Tryptic peptides were prepared from plasma samples and analyzed by nano-flow ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (nano-UHPLC-HRMS/MS) using data-independent acquisition (DIA) method. Orthogonal projection on latent structure-discr...
Barton AK, Richter IG, Ahrens T, Merle R, Alalwani A, Lilge S, Purschke K, Barnewitz D, Gehlen H.The purpose of the study was to compare the results of sepsis scoring (clinical examination and clinical pathology) to the concentrations of matrix-metalloproteinases (MMPs) -2, -8, and -9; tissue-inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) -1 and -2; and inflammatory chemokines interleukin (IL) 1β and tumor-necrosis-factor-alpha (TNF-α) in plasma and peritoneal fluid of equine colic patients. A modified sepsis scoring including general condition, heart and respiratory rate, rectal temperature, mucous membranes, white blood cell count (WBC), and ionized calcium was applied in 47 horses presented...
Kearney CM, Korthagen NM, Plomp SGM, Labberté MC, de Grauw JC, van Weeren PR, Brama PAJ.Intra-articular triamcinolone acetonide is a widely used treatment for joint inflammation despite limited scientific evidence of its efficacy. Objective: To investigate if intra-articular triamcinolone acetonide has sustained anti-inflammatory effects using an equine model of repeated joint inflammation. Methods: Randomised controlled experimental study. Methods: For three consecutive cycles 2 weeks apart, inflammation was induced in both middle carpal joints of eight horses by injecting 0.25 ng lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After the first LPS injection only, treatment with 12 mg triamcinolone...
Sparks HD, Sigaeva T, Tarraf S, Mandla S, Pope H, Hee O, Di Martino ES, Biernaskie J, Radisic M, Scott WM.The equine distal limb wound healing model, characterized by delayed re-epithelialization and a fibroproliferative response to wounding similar to that observed in humans, is a valuable tool for the study of biomaterials poised for translation into both the veterinary and human medical markets. In the current study, we developed a novel method of biaxial biomechanical testing to assess the functional outcomes of healed wounds in a modified equine model and discovered significant functional and structural differences in both unwounded and injured skin at different locations on the distal limb t...
Ghajar SM, McKenzie H, Fike J, McIntosh B, Tracy BF.Introduced cool-season grasses are dominant in Virginia's grasslands, but their high digestible energy and nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) levels pose a risk for horses prone to obesity and laminitis. Native warm-season grasses (NWSGs) have lower digestible energy and NSC levels that may be more suitable for horses susceptible to laminitis. Although NWSGs have desirable characteristics, they are novel forages for horses. Little is known about NWSG intake or potential toxicity to horses or how grazing by horses may affect NWSG swards. The overall objectives of this research were to 1) assess v...
Vieira LA, Matás C, Torrecillas A, Saez F, Gadea J.Seminal plasma (SP) plays a crucial role in sperm protection and functionality. However, the effect of SP on the sperm cryopreservation is dependent on the stallion and SP composition. The use of epididymal spermatozoa incubated in the presence of SP could help the identification of the components of SP that are able to confer protection upon the spermatozoa during freezing. The aims of this study were (i) to identify SP components involved in the potential protection of epididymal spermatozoa during the freeze-thawing process and (ii) to identify and evaluate the proteins likely related to sp...
Ertelt A, Stumpff F, Merle R, Kuban S, Bollinger L, Liertz S, Gehlen H.Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is a cardiac biomarker in humans, symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) a renal biomarker in humans, cats, and dogs. The purpose of this prospective study was to investigate if measuring serum ADMA and SDMA concentrations via ELISA allows detection of cardiac disease in horses in a routine laboratory setting. In this context, reference values in horses were established. Methods: Seventy-eight horses with no known medical history were compared to 23 horses with confirmed structural cardiac disease with/or without arrhythmias. Horses underwent physical examination,...
Pourmohammad R, Mohri M, Seifi HA, Sardari K.Limited information existed on performance tests in Iranian Arab horses. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate time related changes of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and oxidative/antioxidant biomarkers in the serum of Arabian horses before and after regular training. Methods: Blood samples were collected from jugular vein of 25 Arabian horses before exercise; 5 h and 18 h after exercise and used to measure the cTnI, ANP, malondialdehyde (MDA), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) ...
Acri G, Testagrossa B, Giudice E, Arfuso F, Piccione G, Giannetto C.Raman spectroscopy is a rapid qualitative and quantitative technique that allows the simultaneous determination of several components, both biomolecules both chemical compounds, in the biological fluids to assess the metabolic status. In this study, the serum composition was evaluated in regularly trained athletic horses using Raman spectroscopy to identify biomarkers of sports performance. Five clinically healthy and regularly trained Italian Saddle horses were subjected to a standardized obstacle course (350 m/minute; eleven 1.25 high jumps) preceded by a warm-up. On the collected sera, at ...
Ordakowski AL, Kronfeld DS, Holland JL, Hargreaves BJ, Gay LS, Harris PA, Dove H, Sklan D.Dry matter intake (DMI), dry matter digestibility (DMD), and fecal output (FO) are difficult to measure directly in the field, and indirect methods using external and internal markers have thus been developed. An experiment was conducted consisting of two digestion trials with two periods in each trial to examine the use of five odd-chain alkanes (C25 to C33) of plant cuticular wax as internal markers to estimate DMD of hay or hay plus concentrate diets in horses. Eight mature Thoroughbred geldings were housed in 4- x 4-m stalls and randomly assigned to one of two mixed grass/legume hays (Diet...
Barton AK, Richter IG, Ahrens T, Merle R, Alalwani A, Lilge S, Purschke K, Barnewitz D, Gehlen H.The purpose of the study was to compare the results of sepsis scoring (clinical examination and clinical pathology) to the concentrations of matrix-metalloproteinases (MMPs) -2, -8, and -9; tissue-inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) -1 and -2; and inflammatory chemokines interleukin (IL) 1β and tumor-necrosis-factor-alpha (TNF-α) in plasma and peritoneal fluid of equine colic patients. A modified sepsis scoring including general condition, heart and respiratory rate, rectal temperature, mucous membranes, white blood cell count (WBC), and ionized calcium was applied in 47 horses presented...
Much ML, Leatherwood JL, Martinez RE, Silvers BL, Basta CF, Gray LF, Bradbery AN.Twenty stock-type horses (589 ± 126 kg BW; 13 ± 8 yr) were used in a completely randomized design for 28-d to evaluate the impact of a joint supplement on gait kinematics, inflammation, and cartilage metabolism. Horses were stratified by age, sex, body weight (BW), and initial lameness scores and were randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments consisting of either a 100-g placebo top-dressed daily to 0.6% BW (as-fed) commercial concentrate (CON; n = 10; SafeChoice Original, Cargill, Inc.), or an oral joint supplement (SmartPak Equine LLC) containing glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, ...
Turlo AJ, Cywinska A, Frisbie DD.High prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in racehorses and its impact on horse welfare and racing economics call for improved measures of injury diagnosis and prevention. Serum biomarkers of bone and cartilage metabolism have previously shown promise in prediction of musculoskeletal injuries in horses. This study aimed to re-evaluate usability of the predictive serum biomarkers identified in North American Thoroughbred racehorses in a geographically distinct group of Polish Thoroughbreds. Results: Serum concentrations of bone and cartilage biomarkers: osteocalcin, c-terminal telopeptide of...
Murase H, Saito S, Amaya T, Sato F, Ball BA, Nambo Y.Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), a glycoprotein secreted from the fetal testis, is responsible for regression of the Müllerian duct in the male fetus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of serum AMH as a biomarker for diagnosis of cryptorchidism in horses. Serum AMH concentrations were measured in intact stallions, hemi-castrated unilateral cryptorchid stallions, and geldings. In addition, expression of AMH was characterized in cryptorchid testes by immunohistochemistry. Serum AMH was detected in intact stallions (n=11, 13.3 ± 1.8 ng/ml) and in hemi-castrated cryptorchid stal...
Lee GKC, Beeler-Marfisi J, Viel L, Piché É, Kang H, Sears W, Bienzle D.Horses with severe equine asthma (SEA), also known as heaves and recurrent airway obstruction, have persistent neutrophilic inflammation of the lower airways. Cytologic evaluation of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid is commonly used to confirm the clinical diagnosis of SEA. However, the utility of microscopic assessment of bronchial brushings, endobronchial biopsies, and immunohistochemical detection of disease-associated biomarkers for the diagnosis of SEA remain poorly characterized. Salivary scavenger and agglutinin (SALSA) has anti-inflammatory properties and downregulated gene expressio...
Trachsel DS, Grenacher B, Weishaupt MA, Schwarzwald CC.Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a cardiovascular biomarker that might be useful in assessing the severity of cardiac disease in horses. Plasma ANP concentrations (Cp(ANP)) were compared between horses with heart disease but normal chamber size and function (Group A; n=6), horses with heart disease associated with left atrial (LA) enlargement, LA dysfunction, and/or left ventricular (LV) enlargement (Group B; n=5), and horses with no clinically apparent cardiovascular disease (Group C; n=13). The median (min-max) for Cp(ANP) was significantly higher in Group B (53.5 (36.0-70.7) pg/mL), comp...
Ragno VM, Klein CD, Sereda NS, Uehlinger FD, Zello GA, Robinson KA, Montgomery JB.In human metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes, methylglyoxal (MG), D-lactate, and several cytokines have been recognized as biomarkers of important metabolic and inflammatory processes. Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) shares many similarities with these human counterparts. The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to compare body condition score (BCS), cresty neck score (CNS), resting insulin, MG, D-lactate, L-lactate, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) between horses with and without insulin dysregulation, as clas...
Verwilghen DR, Enzerink E, Martens A, Franck T, Balligand M, Henrotin Y, Detilleux J, Serteyn D.To evaluate the levels of plasmatic and synovial Coll2-1, Coll2-1NO(2) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in horses with osteochondral lesions of the tarsocrural joint and to investigate how these levels relate to arthroscopic findings of inflammation and degeneration. Methods: Venous blood and synovial fluid samples were collected from 63 horses presented for arthroscopic removal of osteochondral fragments in the tarsocrural joint. Prior to removal of the osteochondral fragment, an exploration of the joint was performed and an inflammatory and degenerative score was determined. The blood and synovial ...
Bailly-Chouriberry L, Noguier F, Manchon L, Piquemal D, Garcia P, Popot MA, Bonnaire Y.Recombinant human erythropoietins (rHuEPOs) are glycoproteins drugs, produced by the pharmaceutical industry to restore production of red blood cells by stimulating human bone marrow for which this pathology has been diagnosed. It is suspected that these molecules are diverted as doping agents in horseracing to enhance oxygen transport and aerobic power in racehorses. Although indirect double-blotting or direct liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods have been developed to confirm the presence of rHuEPO in a sample, the short detection time (48 h) is still a problem for doping ...
Knych HK, Mama KR, Moore CE, Hill AE, McKEMIE DS.The use of intra-articular (IA) local anaesthetics has proven to be an effective means to treat post-operative pain. The effects of local anaesthetics on equine chondrocytes are mixed with some studies reporting chondrodestruction and others no adverse effects. A liposomal formulation of bupivacaine is used in people and dogs by intra- and peri-articular administration to provide up to 72 h of analgesia. The potential uses, side effects including chondrotoxicity, and likelihood of abuse (long-term analgesic effects) has not been evaluated in horses. Objective: Describe bupivacaine concentrati...
Buhl R, Hesselkilde EM, Carstensen H, Hopster-Iversen C, van Loon G, Decloedt A, Van Steenkiste G, Marr CM, Reef VB, Schwarzwald CC, Mitchell KJ....The recurrence rate of atrial fibrillation (AF) in horses after cardioversion to sinus rhythm (SR) is relatively high. Atrial fibrillatory rate (AFR) derived from surface ECG is considered a biomarker for electrical remodelling and could potentially be used for the prediction of successful AF cardioversion and AF recurrence. Objective: Evaluate if AFR was associated with successful treatment and could predict AF recurrence in horses. Methods: Retrospective multicentre study. Methods: Electrocardiograms (ECG) from horses with persistent AF admitted for cardioversion with either medical treatmen...
Bozorgmanesh R, Thornton J, Snyder J, Fletcher C, Mack R, Coyne M, Murphy R, Hegarty E, Slovis N.Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) is a renal biomarker correlated with glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Objective: Describe changes in SDMA in clinically healthy foals and their mares during the first month postfoaling. Methods: Convenience sampling of healthy periparturient Thoroughbred mares and their full-term foals from a population of client-owned horses. Methods: Serum and EDTA whole blood samples were collected from mares in their last month of pregnancy and then from mares and foals at approximately <12 hours, 48 hours, 7 days, and 30 days postbirth. Samples were processed ...
Tsuzuki N, Kanbayashi Y, Kusano K.Arthritis is thought to cause oxidative stress in synovial fluid in humans, but there have been few reports in horses. To evaluate oxidative stress in synovial fluid in horses, this study used 19 horses with unilateral fracture of the carpal joint bone. Synovial fluid was collected from the carpal joint on the fracture (arthritis group) and contralateral (control group) sides. Diacron-reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) and biological antioxidant potential (BAP) were then measured, and the oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. d-ROMs and OSI of the arthritis group were significantly hi...
Laurberg M, Saegerman C, Jacobsen S, Berg LC, Laursen SH, Hoeberg E, Sånge EA, van Galen G.Equine neonatal sepsis can be challenging to diagnose and prognosticate. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), a new marker of renal damage and inflammation, can potentially be helpful. To evaluate NGAL in neonatal foals with sepsis, and assess its relation to outcome. Foals ≤ 14 days, with admission blood analysis and stored serum. NGAL was measured on stored serum from 91 foals. Foals were scored for sepsis and survival and categorized according to sepsis status (septic, sick non-septic, healthy, and uncertain sepsis status) and outcome groups (survivors and non-survivors). Th...
Vervuert I, Coenen M, Wedemeyer U, Harmeyer J.Seven untrained Standardbred horses were used in a training programme of 6 weeks to evaluate the effects of exercise and training on bone metabolism. The horses were exercised on a treadmill according to a standardized exercise test (SET 1: six incremental steps, 5 min duration each; start 5 m/s, increase 1 m/s). SET 1 was followed by a training programme of 6 weeks. In alternating order: high-speed exercise (HSE): 15 min duration, start at VLa4, continuous increase in speed every 60 s by 0.3 m/s (14 incremental steps); low-speed exercise (LSE): constant velocity at VLa2.5, duration: approxima...
Intan-Shameha AR, Divers TJ, Morrow JK, Graves A, Olsen E, Johnson AL, Mohammed HO.The current study aimed at the investigating the potential use of phosphorylated neurofilament H (pNF-H) as a diagnostic biomarker for neurologic disorders in the horse. Paired serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples (n=88) and serum only (n=30) were obtained from horses diagnosed with neurologic disorders and clinically healthy horses as control. The neurologic horses consisted of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) (38 cases) and cervical vertebral malformation (CVM) (23 cases). Levels of pNF-H were determined using an ELISA. The correlation between CSF and serum concentrations of p...
Toth B, Slovis NM, Constable PD, Taylor SD.Bacterial sepsis remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal foals, but accurate diagnostic and prognostic markers are lacking. Adrenomedullin (AM) is a polypeptide with diverse biologic effects on the cardiovascular system that increases in septic humans and laboratory animals. Objective: Plasma AM concentration (p[AM]) is increased in septic neonatal foals compared to sick nonseptic and healthy control foals, and p[AM] is predictive of survival in septic neonatal foals. Methods: Ninety critically ill (42 septic, 48 sick nonseptic) and 61 healthy foals <1 week of age. Metho...
Ishii H, Leung GN, Yamashita S, Nagata SI, Kushiro A, Sakai S, Toju K, Okada J, Kawasaki K, Kusano K, Kijima-Suda I.The use of nicotine stimulants in horses is generally banned in horse racing and equestrian sports-accidental consumption of tobacco products is one of the possible causes of nicotine exposure in horses. The authors recently reported a comprehensive metabolic study of nicotine in equines, differentiating between nicotine exposure and sample contamination by means of a nicotine biomarker trans-3'-hydroxycotinine. To identify potential biomarkers for the differentiation of genuine nicotine administration and consumption of tobacco products, tobacco leaves (equivalent to 250 mg of nicotine) wer...
Jacobsen S, Mortensen CD, Høj EA, Vinther AM, Berg LC, Adler DMT, Verwilghen D, van Galen G.Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has been suggested to be a highly sensitive and specific marker of joint infection in humans. The aim of the study was to investigate NGAL concentrations in synovial fluid (SF) from horses with septic synovitis, horses without septic synovitis, and horses with uncertain status. NGAL was measured in 177 admission samples obtained from 152 horses. From a subset of horses ( = 35), additional samples obtained sequentially over the course of treatment were available. Concentrations of NGAL were significantly higher in septic synovitis ( = 47 samples...
Muñoz-Prieto A, Cerón JJ, Rubio CP, Contreras-Aguilar MD, Pardo-Marín L, Ayala-de la Peña I, Martín-Cuervo M, Holm Henriksen IM....In this report, the measurement of salivary biomarkers as an aid for diagnosis of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) was studied. A comprehensive panel of 23 salivary analytes was measured in the saliva of horses affected by EGUS and compared to healthy animals and horses with other diseases clinically similar to EGUS but with a negative diagnosis at gastroscopic examination. A total of 147 horses were included in the study and divided into heathy population (n = 12), the EGUS group (n = 110), and the group of horses with other diseases (n = 25). From the 23 analytes studied, 17 showed incre...
Pieńkowska-Schelling A, Kaul A, Schelling C.Abnormalities of chromosomes are an important and well documented cause of disorders of sexual development, fertility problems and congenital anomalies in mammals. Detection of low-level 63,X/64,XX mosaicism during routine cytogenetic evaluation is a challenge because its clinical significance is not yet fully clear. This study describes the prevalence and levels of 63,X mosaicism for a cohort of fertile mares and compares the results with eight problem mares for which no clinical cause of sub-fertility was found. The study design allowed for the analysis of micronuclei which are biomarkers of...
Fedorka CE, Ball BA, Walker OF, McCormick ME, Scoggin KE, Kennedy LA, Squires EL, Troedsson MHT.Equine abortions are attributed to both infectious and noninfectious causes. Clinical extrapolations are often made from the experimental model for ascending placentitis towards other causes of fetal compromise, including various markers of inflammation, including the cytokines IL-2, 5, IL-6, IL-10, IFNγ, and TNF. It is unknown if these cytokine changes are noted under field conditions, or if they increase preceding other pregnancy related complications. To assess this, Thoroughbred mares (n = 702) had weekly blood obtained beginning in December 2013 and continuing until parturition. Fet...
Ryan PL, Christiansen DL, Hopper RM, Bagnell CA, Vaala WE, Leblanc MM.Placental insufficiency is regarded as the primary factor contributing to late-term abortion and perinatal death of foals. Often when problems associated with late-term pregnancy in the horse are manifest the condition is well-advanced and therapeutic intervention may not be effective in rescuing the pregnancy. If a compromised pregnancy due to placental insufficiency could be identified early, the pregnancy might be sustained through medical intervention. Because the placenta is the sole source of circulating relaxin in the mare, we hypothesized that systemic relaxin may serve as a biomarker ...
Banse HE, Holbrook TC, Frank N, McFarlane D.Local (skeletal muscle and adipose) and systemic inflammation are implicated in the development of obesity-associated insulin resistance in humans. In horses, obesity is neither strongly nor consistently associated with systemic inflammation. The role of skeletal muscle inflammation in the development of insulin dysregulation (insulin resistance or hyperinsulinemia) remains to be determined. We hypothesized that skeletal muscle inflammation is related to obesity-associated hyperinsulinemia in horses. Thirty-five light-breed horses with body condition scores (BCSs) of 3/9 to 9/9 were studied, i...
Umbilical cord matrix mesenchymal stem cells (UCM-MSCs) present a wide range of potential therapeutical applications. The extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) regulates physiological and pathological processes. We investigated, in a large animal model, the involvement of CaSR in triggering osteogenic and neurogenic differentiation of two size-sieved UCM-MSC lines, by using AMG641, a novel potent research calcimimetic acting as CaSR agonist. Results: Large (>8 µm in diameter) and small (<8 µm) equine UCM-MSC lines were cultured in medium with high calcium (Ca2+) concentration (...
Lee S, Baker ME, Clinton M, Taylor SE.Despite many recent advances in imaging and epidemiological data analysis, musculoskeletal injuries continue to be a welfare issue in racehorses. Peptide biomarker studies have failed to consistently predict bone injury. Molecular profiling studies provide an opportunity to study equine musculoskeletal disease. A systematic review of the literature was performed using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines to assess the use of miRNA profiling studies in equine and human musculoskeletal injuries. Data were extracted from 40 papers betw...
Holbrook TC, McFarlane D, Schott HC.The inflammatory and neuroendocrine response to endurance exercise and relationship of these parameters to performance is not well documented in horses. HYPOTHESES OR OBJECTIVES: Evidence of systemic inflammation is associated with poor performance in horses competing in endurance events. Methods: Blood was collected prior to and at the finish or elimination point from horses competing in both the 80 and 160 km American Endurance Ride National Championship competitions in 2006. Immunoreactive alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were quantifie...
Lee SJ, Lee KG.The inhibitory effect of aroma extracts isolated from dried soybeans, mung beans, kidney beans, and azuki beans on malonaldehyde (MA) formation from horse blood plasma oxidized with Fenton's reagent was determined by gas chromatography (GC) coupled with nitrogen-phosphorus detector (NPD). Aroma chemicals such as maltol, eugenol, benzyl alcohol, 1-octen-3-ol, butyrolactone, and 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, found in the aroma extracts of beans, were also examined for their inhibitory effect on the same system. Among the four aroma extracts tested, the aroma extract of soybeans exhibited the strongest...
Okumura M, Kim GH, Tagami M, Haramaki S, Fujinaga T.Keratan sulphate (KS) concentration in sera from resting horses and horses training daily on a racetrack was measured by an inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using anti-equine KS antibody 1/14/16H9. For the in-training horses, serum KS concentrations in 2-year-old-horses was significantly higher than 3- or 4-year-old-horses. A higher concentration of serum KS was found in the in-training group than in the long-term resting group in 2-year-old-horses. Serum KS concentration increased remarkably immediately after training in healthy horses, and at 1, 5, 9 and 24 h after traini...
