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Topic:Biomarkers
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.
Influence of collection site on cerebrospinal fluid test results in horses with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis is a critical component in the diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Test results obtained may differ based on different collection sites. Objective: Compare results of EPM-specific diagnostic tests obtained from different collections sites in EPM-affected and non-EPM affected horses. Methods: Twenty control and 7 EPM-affected horses. Methods: Prospective observational study. CSF was collected from the lumbosacral (LS) and cranial sites (atlantooccipital or C1-2) in 27 horses and EPM-specific diagnostic tests were performed. Data were summari...
Platelet indices’ dynamic in broodmares: Effects of parity and lactation. Lactation and parity are physiological factors influencing platelet (PLT) indices, yet their combined effects in mares remain poorly characterized. As a dynamic process, lactation involves metabolic and endocrine changes that may influence thrombopoiesis; therefore, reproductive history and lactation stage may modulate PLT indices. Objective: To characterize longitudinal platelet (PLT) indices during early lactation in mares and evaluate the influence of parity on thrombopoietic responses. Methods: Fifty-five clinically healthy Spanish Purebred mares were included (20 primiparous and 25 multip...
Genes Associated With Fracture Risk in Thoroughbred Horses Have Novel Roles in Osteogenesis. Bone fractures in Thoroughbred racehorses are a major welfare problem. Genetic factors contribute to fracture risk. Cell models have previously identified 112 differentially expressed genes in bone-forming osteoblasts derived from horses at high and low genetic risk of fracture. However, 42 of these genes have no published role in bone. In this study, we identified novel roles for a subset of these genes in bone formation. Twenty-six of the 42 genes were expressed in Saos2 cells during basal culture and/or after 21 days of osteogenic culture. Five of these genes (ADSSL1, CABP1, ENO2, SPARCL1...
Synovial fluid oxidative stress index as a biomarker for arthritis severity in thoroughbred racehorses. Arthritis is a major cause of lameness in racehorses. Even when lameness improves, it may recur after training resumes, making it difficult to determine the disease state and when to end treatment. This retrospective observational study examined whether oxidative stress in synovial fluid could assess arthritis status in racehorses. Synovial fluid samples obtained during routine clinical practice from horses with arthritis and control samples obtained from horses without clinical or radiographic evidence of carpal joint disease were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 72 Thoroughbreds in Japan...
Humoral immune response to equine mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs): MHC compatibility has more influence than inflammatory priming or chondrogenic differentiation. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) hold great potential for treating various conditions, but their effectiveness and safety in allogeneic therapies can be affected by the recipient's immune response, among other factors. Allogeneic MSC administration has been associated with immune recognition in different species, including horses. These animals are both veterinary patients and translational models, offering valuable insights into how allogeneic MSCs interact with the immune system in vivo. Factors such as inflammation, chondrogenic differentiation, and major histocompatibility complex (MH...
Circulating microRNAs as potential predictive biomarkers of equine metabolic syndrome. Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is a complex endocrine disorder characterized by insulin dysregulation (ID), and an increased risk of developing laminitis, often accompanied by generalized or regional adiposity. Despite growing awareness of EMS, early and accurate diagnosis remains challenging. In this pilot study, we investigated changes in the levels of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in plasma samples from horses diagnosed with EMS (n=13), compared to overweight/obese (OW/OB) non-ID horses (n=16) and healthy controls (n=16). Using a targeted OpenArray, followed by a Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's...
Prevalence of insulin dysregulation in a sport horse population as determined by traditional and stall-side testing. The prevalence of insulin dysregulation (ID) has not been investigated in sport horses. Stall-side insulin assays offer convenience but need further validation. Objective: To determine the prevalence of and risk factors for ID in a sport horse population using an oral sugar test (OST) and assess agreement between stall-side and validated laboratory assays for insulin quantification. Methods: Prospective cross-sectional study. Methods: One hundred eighty sport horses presenting for orthopaedic evaluation at a university hospital (N = 140) or local farms (N = 40) were tested for ID using...
Using a wearable electrocardiogram (ECG) patch adapted for 7-day monitoring in the horse. Arrhythmias can cause poor performance and sudden death in horses. Long-term (>24 h) electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring has been used to identify arrhythmias in humans and is superior to short-term monitoring for transient arrhythmia detection. Televet is the current equine gold-standard ECG device. The Cardea SOLO™ (CS) is a single-use monitor with automated ECG analysis software allowing ECG monitoring for 7 days. Objective: Our objective was to validate the performance of the CS compared to the Televet. Methods: Method validation. Methods: ECGs were performed on 12 healthy horses s...
Untargeted Sweat Metabolomics and Targeted Plasma Amino Acid Profiling Reveal Dynamic Metabolic Remodeling During Conditioning in Yili Horses. Training induces sweat morphology changes in horses from muddy sweat (MS) to foamy sweat (FS) and clear sweat (CS), reflecting physiological adaptation. However, the metabolic mechanisms linking sweat phenotypes to systemic amino acid dynamics remain unclear. This study integrated sweat untargeted metabolomics and plasma amino acid targeted metabolomics to reveal coordinated metabolic remodeling. Six 2-year-old horse stallions underwent 10-week training. Plasma and sweat were sampled pre- and post-race at each stage. LC-MS/MS and UHPLC-MS/MS were used for sweat metabolome and plasma amino aci...
Blood ammonia levels: A potential indicator of high-risk pregnancy in Thoroughbred broodmares. Exposure to high blood ammonia (hyperammonemia) interferes with gestation due to its detrimental effect on hormone levels, fetal development, the immune system, placental integrity, and fertility of broodmares. Increases in ammonia levels are dangerous and elusive, as damage may occur from earlier peaks, resulting in the trapping of ammonia in the amniotic fluid and then disappearing from the blood circulation before clinical symptoms are observed. Thus, it should be recognized early and treated immediately before complications arise. This study aimed to investigate if blood ammonia levels in ...
Biomarkers of equine asthma: A review of the current literature. Equine Asthma (EA) is a common, lower airway disease. Yet current diagnostic standards rely on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology, which is moderately invasive and not always feasible in field conditions. This review aimed to synthesize current evidence on candidate biomarkers of EA, with a primary focus on blood-based matrices and BALF, while also including data on biomarkers measured in tracheal wash (TW), saliva and exhaled breath condensate (EBC), where available. Searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar, and original studies in horses with mild-to-moderate or...
The progression values of heart rate and biochemical plasma parameters during training of 3-years old warmblood stallions for breeding licensing. Physiological adaptation to training in young sport horses remains incompletely characterized, particularly during standardized preparation for breeding licensing. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiovascular and plasma biochemical responses to acute exercise and long-term training in three-year-old Czech Warmblood stallions during standardized free jumping exercise. Methods: Thirteen Czech Warmblood stallions were monitored over a 112-day training period. Heart rate parameters (minimum, maximum, and mean) were recorded during standardized free jumping tests. Plasma biochemi...
Exploring the role of epigenetics in the processes related to the development of endometrosis in the mare. Endometrosis is a chronic degenerative condition of the mare endometrium characterized by progressive fibrosis and glandular alterations that impair uterine function and fertility. Its pathogenesis involves persistent inflammation, the activation of myofibroblasts, and the accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM), leading to disrupted glandular secretion and compromised maintenance of pregnancy. While histopathological studies of endometrosis are well described, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Emerging evidence highlights the crucial role of epigenetic reg...
Placental adaptation to maternal environment in domestic animals. The developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) is based on the observation that environmental conditions during sensitive windows of development shape lifelong physiology and disease susceptibility. While fetal organs are often viewed as direct programming targets, the placenta is a crucial mechanistic hub because it senses maternal conditions and actively constructs the fetal environment through nutrient transport, endocrine signaling, and immune regulation. Placental plasticity spans morphology and how exchanges are favored by tissue topology, vascular development and perfusion, tra...
Synovial transcriptomic biomarkers predict structural severity in equine osteochondral fragment-induced experimental osteoarthritis. Develop a global joint score (GJS) reflecting equine osteoarthritis (OA) structural severity and identify clinical or molecular parameters predicting disease severity. Unassigned: A retrospective analysis was performed using data from horses (n = 104; 58 females and 46 geldings; 2 to 5 years old) undergoing experimental OA induction via surgical osteochondral fragment creation in the middle carpal joint and high-speed treadmill exercise over 70 days. Longitudinal measures included subjective lameness examinations (lameness, effusion, and flexion), synovial fluid (SF) and serum glycosaminoglyca...
Exploration of the relationship between laboratory stress parameters and leukocyte coping capacity in ponies exposed to repetitive handling during a research project. Stress is an umbrella term indicating increased allostatic load with the potential to reach a pathological state of the organism. In this context, cortisol concentration and neutrophil granulocytes-to-lymphocyte ratio (NEU: LYM) are expected to increase. On the functional pathway, stress reduces the oxidative burst capacity of neutrophils and therefore, the leucocyte coping capacity (LCC) quantifying this oxygen radical generation of neutrophils. Therefore, we hypothesized that in ponies subjected to repetitive handling, LCC will decrease and will be negatively correlated with cortisol concent...
Evaluation of oxidative stress in ill neonatal foals: a preliminary study. Oxidative stress both contributes to and results from sepsis pathophysiology, but its role in ill foals remains poorly characterized. Objective: Ill foals will exhibit decreased antioxidant defense activity and increased oxidative products compared with healthy foals, and these changes will be associated with higher sepsis scores, lower survival scores, and non-survival. Methods: Twenty-six foals < 14 days old: 16 hospitalized foals (11 sick non-septic, 5 septic; median age, 1.5 days; range 1-13) and 10 healthy Standardbred foals (2 days old). Nine of 16 ill foals survived to discharge...
Evaluation of a canine Coll2-1 ELISA kit for use in equine serum and its correlation with radiographic joint disease. This study evaluated an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of Coll2-1, a peptide fragment of type II collagen released during cartilage degradation in horses using a kit originally developed for dogs. Objective: The objectives of this study were to: 1) assess the analytical applicability of the canine Coll2-1 ELISA in equine serum and 2) explore the correlations between Coll2-1 concentrations and radiographic scores of osteoarthritis (OA) in horses. Methods: Twelve Lusitano stallions, of similar age and workload but presenting different radiographic scores were include...
Serum adipokines are useful for predicting hyperinsulinemia secondary to corticosteroid treatment in horses. To evaluate pretreatment biomarkers for predicting the severity of corticosteroid-induced hyperinsulinemia. Unassigned: Oral glucose tests were performed before (day 1) and after (day 8) a dexamethasone course (0.08 mg/kg, q 48 h) in 24 healthy adult Standardbreds. Associations between day 8 oral glucose test insulin parameters (baseline [T0insulin], maximal [Cmaxinsulin], and area under the curve [AUCinsulin]) and day 1 serum markers (insulin, glucose, adiponectin, leptin, and their ratios) were examined using Spearman correlation, log-linked generalized linear models. Relative risk of exceed...
Single-dose intravenous α2-agonists do not acutely alter anti-inflammatory bioactive protein profiles but reduce interleukin-8 in equine autologous protein solution and platelet-rich plasma. Determine the acute effects of xylazine and detomidine on concentrations of selected growth factors, cytokines, and α2-macroglobulin (A2M) in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and autologous protein solution (APS) and the long-term effects of these sedatives on serum A2M. We hypothesized that sedative administration would decrease concentrations of all bioactive proteins in PRP and APS acutely and A2M in serum for 6 days following sedative administration. Unassigned: 6 horses were randomized to receive IV xylazine (200 mg) or detomidine (10 mg). Blood was collected before and 5 minutes after sedativ...
Age-Related Comparative Study of C-Reactive Protein, Lipid Profile Biomarkers, and Strongyle Nematode Gastrointestinal Parasitic Burden in Horses. Gastrointestinal (GI) parasitic infection remains one of the most prevalent and economically significant health challenges in equine populations. The infective stages of GI parasites can activate systemic inflammatory responses and disrupt lipid metabolism leading to exacerbation of parasitic infection. Moreover, age-related low-grade chronic inflammation may further contribute to the persistent infection which impacts the health status of individual horses. Objective: This study examined serum levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) and lipid profile parameters to identify ...
Estrous cycle-dependent changes in platelet indices in healthy mares. Platelets (PLTs) are key regulators of hemostasis, inflammation, and tissue remodeling, and their phenotype is known to fluctuate with sex steroid concentrations in several species. However, the influence of the estrous cycle on PLT characteristics in mares has not been investigated. We hypothesized that PLT indices vary between reproductive phases in association with changes in estradiol-17β (E2) and progesterone (P4). The aim of this study was to characterize PLT indices in estrus and diestrus and to determine how these hematological parameters relate to circulating E2 and P4 concentrations...
Physiological determinants of plasma biochemical parameters in horses: a structured review. The biochemical profile of horses is a cornerstone in equine clinical diagnostics, offering valuable insights into health status, disease progression, and physiological adaptation to internal and external stimuli. However, the interpretation of these biochemical parameters is far from straightforward, as they are subject to significant variation influenced by a range of physiological factors. Age, sex, breed, level of physical activity, nutritional condition, and reproductive status can all modulate baseline biochemical values, potentially leading to diagnostic inaccuracies if not properly con...
Comparative Analysis of Meat Quality and Flavor Among Four Categories of Mongolian Horses. This study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the quality and flavor of meat from four categories of Mongolian horses (Wushen, Baicha, Barhu, and Ujimqin). Physicochemical indicators, electronic nose, electronic tongue, and lipidomics were used to characterize meat quality and flavor and to screen for differential markers. Results showed that Wushen Horses had the highest pH, serine, glutamic acid, total free amino acids (∑FAA), total non-essential amino acids (∑NEAA), total amino acids (∑TAA), NEAA/TAA, W2S sensor response, umami and richness values, and had the lowest cooking lo...
Application of Anti-Müllerian Hormone in Regulation of Ovarian Function and Its Practical Relevance for Fertility and Embryo Production in Cows and Mares. In the female organism, Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is produced exclusively by granulosa cells, particularly in secondary and early tertiary follicles. The amount of AMH released into the blood is proportional to the total number of follicles present in the ovaries and is therefore used to estimate the ovarian functional reserve. In both cattle and mares, a strong and highly repeatable association has also been demonstrated between AMH concentrations and antral follicle count. Therefore, AMH may serve as a biomarker with broad diagnostic utility in reproductive medicine in these species, as ...
Development of a prognostic scoring system for systemic inflammatory response syndrome in donkeys. Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is associated with increased mortality in horses with gastrointestinal (GI) disease. However, there are no data relating to naturally occurring SIRS in donkeys. Objective: To determine SIRS frequency in donkeys with GI disease. To develop a donkey-specific prognostic SIRS score. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Clinical records from donkeys presenting with GI disease in two independent cohorts (development cohort: n = 400, UK; validation cohort: n = 36, Australia) were reviewed. Age, sex, heart rate, respiratory rate, rectal te...
Prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias in poorly performing horses. Electrocardiogram abnormalities are common in racehorses and can affect performance. Unassigned: This study aimed to analyze the results of electrocardiographic problems and measure the frequencies of various cardiac arrhythmias. Unassigned: This cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2023 and August 2024. Standard electrocardiographic recordings were obtained from all horses, and cardiac troponin levels were measured. Out of the 114 poorly performing adult horses, 10 cases without arrhythmia were considered the control group. Seventy-four horses (64.9%) had at least one type of...
Recent Advances in Natural Products for Colitis: Mechanisms and Translational Perspectives. Colitis is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disorder characterized by persistent mucosal inflammation, epithelial barrier disruption, oxidative stress, immune dysregulation, and gut microbiota imbalance. Although current therapies have improved disease management, their long-term use is still limited by incomplete response, relapse, adverse effects, and high cost. Natural products have attracted increasing attention as promising candidates for colitis intervention because of their structural diversity, broad bioactivity, and multitarget regulatory potential. In veterinary medicine, colitis and...
Association Between Vaquejada Practice and Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Muscle Damage in Quarter Horses. Vaquejada (VQ) is a traditional Brazilian sport demanding high performance from Quarter Horse (QH) athletes. This study aimed to identify modifications in hematological, biochemical, inflammatory, and oxidative stress biomarkers associated with VQ training, comparing conditioned and non-conditioned horses. Blood samples were collected at rest from 70 healthy QH horses: 60 athletes (VQ-conditioned athlete group-AG) and 10 sedentary controls (breeding horses-CG). Using Linear Mixed Models alongside comprehensive hematological and biochemical analyses, the study found that AG horses exhibited an ...
Prognosis of Equine Liver Diseases. Prognostic information in equine liver disease can be gleaned from historical, clinical, clinicopathological, ultrasonographic, and histopathological features. However, given the multiple causes and subtypes of liver disease affecting horses worldwide, prognostic data might not be suitable for universal application across all cases. Most evidence has been established for horses with chronic hepatopathies and extrapolation to acute cases should be avoided. In chronic liver disease the presence and severity of clinical signs and serum markers including total globulins, albumin, and bile acids ar...
