Serum in horses refers to the component of blood that remains after the removal of cells and clotting factors. It contains a variety of proteins, electrolytes, hormones, and metabolic waste products. Serum analysis is a valuable tool in veterinary medicine for assessing the health status of horses. It provides insights into organ function, nutritional status, and the presence of disease. Common parameters measured in equine serum include enzymes, such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), as well as electrolytes like sodium and potassium. This page assembles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the composition, diagnostic applications, and implications of serum analysis in equine veterinary practice.
Hollinshead FK, Mehegan MK, Gunn A, Nett T, Bruemmer JE, Hanlon DW.The aim of this project was to test the hypothesis that progesterone concentration 5 days after ovulation did not differ between pregnant and nonpregnant Thoroughbred mares on stud farms located in the Waikato region of New Zealand. A prospective cohort study was performed involving five stud farms in the Waikato region of New Zealand during the 2018 breeding season. A total of 275 mares were enrolled in the study. Mares were served by 34 individual stallions. Blood samples were taken from each mare 5 days after ovulation (D0) and measured for progesterone concentration. Early pregnancy was co...
Materniak-Kornas M, Rożek W, Rola J, Osiński Z, Löchelt M, Kuźmak J.Equine foamy virus (EFVeca) is a foamy virus of non-primate origin and among the least-studied members of this retroviral subfamily. By sequence comparison, EFVeca shows the highest similarity to bovine foamy virus. In contrast to simian, bovine or feline foamy viruses, knowledge about the epidemiology of EFVeca is still limited. Since preliminary studies suggested EFVeca infections among horses in Poland, we aimed to expand the diagnostics of EFVeca infections by developing specific diagnostic tools and apply them to investigate its prevalence. An ELISA test based on recombinant EFVeca Gag pr...
Arroyo LG, Hodgins DC, Guest B, Costa M, Ma Z, Monteiro MA.Clostridioides difficile (formerly Clostridium difficile) is associated with colitis in foals and mature horses. C. difficile exposes specific phosphorylated polysaccharides (PSs), named PS-I, PS-II and PS-III. These cell-surface PSs are potential vaccine targets, especially the hexasaccharide phosphate PS-II, that has been found in all C. difficile ribotypes examined. Since we previously identified anti-PS-II circulating antibodies in horses, we postulated that vaccinating foals with PS-II may prevent colonization by C. difficile. In this study, we aim to evaluate the IgM antibody response...
Wijekoon S, Tsogbadrakh M, Sunaga T, Wang Y, Mwale C, Kim S, Alimaa D, Okumura M.The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-hepcidin effect of pentosan polysulfate (PPS) in Mongolian horses. Twenty-six healthy horses were randomly allocated in to two-groups; one group was treated with a PPS once a week for 4-weeks while another group keeping as placebo. Blood samples at day 0 (D0), before race (BR; day 28) and after race (AR; day 28) were analyzed for serum biochemistry, hepcidin and iron concentrations. Significant reduction of hepcidin was observed at AR in PPS group when compared with BR placebo (P<0.05) and AR placebo (P<0.01). Mean hepcidin concentration differ...
Panizzi L, Vignes M, Dittmer KE, Waterland MR, Rogers CW, Sano H, McIlwraith CW, Pemberton S, Owen M, Riley CB.to determine the accuracy of infrared (IR)-based serum biomarker profiling to differentiate horses with early inflammatory changes associated with a traumatically induced model of equine carpal osteoarthritis (OA) from controls. Methods: unilateral carpal OA was induced in 9 of 17 healthy Thoroughbred fillies, while the remainder served as sham operated controls. Serum samples were obtained before induction of OA (Day 0) and weekly thereafter until Day 63 from both groups. Films of dried serum were created, and IR absorbance spectra acquired. Following pre-processing, partial least squares dis...
Sievert M, Schuler G, Wehrend A.Due to the time-limited intestinal uptake of colostral immunoglobulins, the suggested treatment of hypogammaglobulinemia in new-born foals is usually plasma transfusion. The aims of this study were twofold: firstly, to investigate the course of serum IgG concentration after plasma transfusion in newborn foals; and secondly, to determine the amount of transfusion required for a significant increase in serum IgG concentration. For this purpose, the IgG concentration was measured in 23 foals at three different points in time: before transfusion, 1 hour after transfusion, and 24 hours after transf...
Turner SE, Knych HK, Adams AA.To determine the pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, and pharmacological effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in senior horses. Methods: 8 university-owned senior horses. Methods: In this randomized, crossover study, horses were assigned to receive either a single oral dose of 2 mg/kg CBD in oil or a single IV dose of 0.1 mg/kg CBD in DMSO between August 10 and September 4, 2020. Blood samples were collected before and then 0.5, 1, 4, 8, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, 168, 192, 216, 240, and 264 hours after CBD administration. Serum biochemical analyses and CBCs were performed. Plasma concentrations of CBD ...
Fazio F, Aragona F, Piccione G, Arfuso F, Giannetto C.Lithium (Li) represent a substance particularly used for human psychiatric disorders but its therapeutic effect is not well documented for equine specie. For its neurotrophic effect, it may be used as a possible doping substance in horses sports competitions. The purpose of the present study was to determine the different bioaccumulation of lithium concentrations in different biological substrates (blood, serum, mane, and tail), in 30 horses (15 geldings and 15 mares) and hematological parameters as blood biomarkers for lithium bioaccumulation. (RBC, WBC, HGB, HCT, MCV, MCH, MCHC). The lithium...
Arfuso F, Assenza A, Tosto F, Giannetto C, Interlandi C, Piccione G, Liotta L.This study aimed to investigate the serum concentration of osteocalcin (OC), parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcitonin (CT), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and acid phosphatase (AP) in healthy-weaned-foals from 8 months of age until the first year of life. Moreover, the correlation of investigated parameters and foals' age, as well as the relationship between the serum values of PTH and the other markers of bone remodeling were assessed. From 20 foals (10 fillies, 10 colts), blood samples were monthly collected (from 8 to 12 months of age, T1-T5) and the concentration o...
Rojas-Núñez I, Gomez AM, Palmer S, Mohammed HO.Neurofilaments are structural proteins that are concentrated in the body and axons of neurons. Damage to the neurons or axons as a result of trauma or infectious diseases leads to the release of neurofilaments into blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This case-control study was carried out to compare serum levels of phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain (pNF-H) between clinically healthy Thoroughbred (TB) horses and TB horses that suffered catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries (cMSI), and to investigate the correlation between putative risk factors and serum concentrations of pNF-H in inju...
Badenhorst M, Saalmüller A, Daly JM, Ertl R, Stadler M, Puff C, de le Roi M, Baumgärtner W, Engelmann M, Brandner S, Junge HK, Pratscher B, Volz A....Equine hepacivirus (EqHV) is the closest known genetic homologue of hepatitis C virus. An effective prophylactic vaccine is currently not available for either of these hepaciviruses. The equine as potential surrogate model for hepacivirus vaccine studies was investigated, while equine host responses following vaccination with EqHV E2 recombinant protein and subsequent EqHV inoculation were elucidated. Four ponies received prime and booster vaccinations (recombinant protein, adjuvant) four weeks apart (day -55 and -27). Two control ponies received adjuvant only. Ponies were inoculated with EqHV...
Protection against infectious diseases can be obtained with vaccines generating immunogenic response through a combination of humoral and cellular immunity. In this study haematological and serum protein electrophoretic profiles of horses vaccinated against herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) and 4 (EHV-4) were evaluated. Blood samples were collected from 16 horses before (T0), after 24h, 48h, 72h, 1st week, 2nd week and 3rd week (T1I, T2I, T3I, T7I, T14I and T21I) from the first EHV vaccine-dose administration as well as before (TPRE), and after 24h, 48h, 72h, 1st week, 2nd week, 3rd week and 4th week (T1I...
Winther MF, Haugaard SL, Pihl TH, Jacobsen S.Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is produced in response to inflammation in horses, but it has not yet been investigated as a biomarker in horses with the abdominal disease. Objective: To investigate NGAL in serum and peritoneal fluid in horses with the abdominal disease. Methods: Retrospective clinical study. Methods: Data from medical records of 270 horses admitted with acute abdominal disease (simple obstructions [n = 43], strangulating obstructions [n = 104], inflammatory abdominal disease [n = 99], non-strangulating intestinal infarction [NSII, n = 24]) and 9 heal...
This study aimed to evaluate the changes in serum oxidant and antioxidant parameters together with the serum values of homocysteine (Hcy) and muscle enzymes including creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in regularly trained athletic horses during official races of 1200, 1600 and 2000 m. Thirty Thoroughbred horses were divided into three groups of 10 subjects each according to the race distance: Group 1, 1200 m race; Group 2, 1600 m race; Group 3, 2000 m race. Blood samples were collected from horses 1 week prior to the race (1WB), on the day o...
Seabaugh KA, Barrett MF, Rao S, McIlwraith CW, Frisbie DD.Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common problem in horses. Several oral supplements have been proposed as treatments for horses with OA. The object of this study was to evaluate the use of the oil extract from the seeds of (BO) for the treatment of experimentally induced OA in horses. OA was induced in 16, 2-5 year old horses in one middle carpal joint on Day 0; the other limb underwent a sham operation. Once daily oral treatment with BO or placebo was initiated on Day 0 and continued to Day 70. All horses were exercised 5 days a week starting on Day 14 through Day 70. The horses were evaluated every...
Lee DH, Lee EB, Seo JP, Ko EJ.Despite vaccination, equine influenza virus (EIV) and equine herpesvirus (EHV) infections still cause highly contagious respiratory diseases in horses. Recently, concurrent vaccination with EIV and EHV was suggested as a new approach; however, there have been no reports of concurrent vaccination with recombinant canarypox EIV and inactivated EHV vaccines. In this study, we aimed to compare the EIV-specific immune responses induced by concurrent administrations of a recombinant canarypox EIV vaccine and an inactivated bivalent EHV vaccine with those induced by a single recombinant canarypox EIV...
Mann S, Abuelo A, Stokol T, Wakshlag JJ, Bayly W, Reed S, Gandy J, Ramsay JD, Divers TJ.High serum γ-glutamyl-transferase (GGT) activity syndrome in racehorses has been associated with maladaption to exercise. Investigation of affected horses before and immediately after standard exercise may provide critical insight into the syndrome's pathophysiology. Objective: To investigate blood biomarker changes in actively competing racehorses with high GGT activity associated with an exercise challenge. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: High GGT case (age: 2-3 years) and normal GGT control (age: 2-7 years) pairs (3 Thoroughbred, 4 Standardbred pairs) at least 3 months into thei...
Muñoz-Prieto A, Contreras-Aguilar MD, Cerón JJ, Ayala I, Martin-Cuervo M, Gonzalez-Sanchez JC, Jacobsen S, Kuleš J, Beletić A, Rubić I, Mrljak V....Changes in the salivary proteome in 12 horses with the two diseases included in equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS), equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) (n = 6) and equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) (n = 6), were evaluated using a high-resolution LC-MS/MS analysis of TMT-labelled peptides and compared to 10 healthy control horses. Serum was also analysed for comparative purposes. The comparison between the horses with EGGD and controls showed significant changes in 10 salivary proteins, whereas 36 salivary proteins were differently abundant between ESGD and control groups. The most u...
Deng L, Li Z, Tang C, Han Y, Zhang L, Liao Q.Equine pregnancy is currently diagnosed by rectal palpation, ultrasonographic examination, or by measuring changes in hormones in the blood. In the present study, we identified proteins that are differentially expressed in the sera of early pregnant and non-pregnant mares in order to develop a novel method for diagnosing equine pregnancy. Serum samples were obtained from 18 adult mares, pregnancy at day 32 after ovulation (n = 9) and in diestrus (n = 9). Proteomic analysis of the samples was conducted using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. We iden...
Romano MC, Francis KA, Janes JG, Poppenga RH, Filigenzi MS, Stefanovski D, Gaskill CL.Poisoning of nontarget species is a major concern with the use of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs). At postmortem examination, differentiating toxicosis from incidental exposure is sometimes difficult. Clotting profiles cannot be performed on postmortem samples, and clinically significant serum, blood, and liver AR concentrations are not well-established in most species. We chose diphacinone for our study because, at the time, it was the publicly available AR most commonly detected in samples analyzed at the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. We determined an approximate ...
Alberghina D, Statelli A, Monteverde V, Vazzana I, Cascone G, Panzera M.The values for basal serum cortisol concentrations of horses are available in many studies. However, there are limited data about serum cortisol in donkeys. The present study aimed to determine the baseline values for serum cortisol, to evaluate the influence of age and pregnancy on its levels, and to correlate its values with leucocyte profile, serum cholesterol, and triglycerides. Serum samples were collected from 97 healthy donkeys. Cortisol was analyzed by chemo-luminescent assay. The median and the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles of serum cortisol measured and calculated in all donkeys were ...
Biondi V, Landi A, Pugliese M, Merola G, Passantino A.This study aimed to evaluate possible abnormalities in electrocardiographic findings, and changes in cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and inflammatory biomarkers (serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP)) after inactivated herpesvirus vaccine administration. Eighteen healthy horses were included. All animals were vaccinated with Pneumoequine (Merial, France) according to the protocol provided by the manufacturer. They were evaluated 1 day before the first dose of vaccination (D0), and 7 days (D1) and 14 days (D2) afterwards. At D0, D1, and D2, a blood sample was taken for the evaluation of ...
Peyrecave-Capo X, Saulnier N, Maddens S, Gremillet B, Desjardins I.Human autologous serum (AS) and umbilical cord serum (UCS) both contain growth and neurotrophic factors that promote corneal healing. Unassigned: Our objectives were to compare equine AS and UCS cytokine and growth factor profiles and to assess the safety and clinical feasibility of the therapeutic use of UCS eye drops in cases of spontaneous complex ulcers. Unassigned: Prospective clinical trial. Unassigned: Vitamin A insulin growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor-BB, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, interferon-γ, an...
Contreras-Aguilar MD, Rubio CP, González-Arostegui LG, Martín-Cuervo M, Cerón JJ, Ayala I, Henriksen IH, Jacobsen S, Hansen S.Changes in the oxidative status of the blood of horses suffering from gastric ulcers and colic of intestinal aetiology (CIE) have been reported. However, saliva can also be a source of biomarkers of oxidative status. Therefore, this study aims to validate automated assays for the measurement of oxidative status biomarkers (ferric reducing ability of saliva/serum-FRAS/FRAP, cupric reducing antioxidant capacity-CUPRAC, the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity-TEAC, uric acid, and advanced oxidation protein products-AOPP) in the saliva and serum of horses, to assess their changes in the differe...
Gu XL, Dai FY, Xiao X, Li GZ, Zhang LM, Qu WJ.The effect of Ageratina adenophora on pathological characteristics of the liver and lungs as well as serum biochemical parameters in horses were investigated. Ten horses without ingestion history of Ageratina adenophora were classified into the control group, and 10 poisoned but survived horses with 3 months ingestion history were set as the case group. Results showed that serum AST, ALT, ALP, magnesium and phosphorus were elevated significantly, while creatinine was decreased remarkably. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of liver tissues showed diffuse swelling or destruction of hepatocytes, nar...
Niroomandi E, Maleki S, Abdollahpour G, Zakian A, Ahmadvand H.Leptospirosis is one of the important zoonotic bacterial diseases with a worldwide distribution that is often subclinical. We aimed to investigate the oxidant/antioxidant balance and acute-phase response in naturally infected horses and cattle with Leptospira interrogans. A total of 600 serum samples from horses and cattle were examined for L. interrogans antibodies using the microscopic agglutination test to determine anti-Leptospira IgG antibodies against a panel of eight important Leptospira antigens in Iran. Then, serum total antioxidant capacity, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and malo...
Ibrahim S, Hedia M, Taqi MO, Derbala MK, Mahmoud KGM, Ahmed Y, Sosa AS, Saber YHA, Hasanain MH, Nawito MF, Seidel GE.Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a promising biomarker and play a vital role in cell-cell communication. This study aimed (I) to identify and characterize EVs from low volume uterine lavage (LVL) and serum in mares with endometritis, compared to healthy controls and (II) to measure serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), and prostaglandins (PGF and PGE). Mares were divided into 30 sub-fertile (endometritis) and 20 fertile (controls). Serum and LVL was collected for EV isolation, and determination of serum levels of inflammatory mediators. Characterization and visualization of EVs were done by el...
Minamijima Y, Tozaki T, Kuroda T, Urayama S, Nomura M, Yamamoto K.Equine colitis is a diarrhoeal disease caused by inflammation of the large bowel and can potentially be life-threatening due to its rapid progression. Pathogenesis is multifactorial and pathophysiology is highly complicated, therefore, reliable diagnostic biomarkers are needed in the veterinary field. Objective: Serum is one of the most commonly used diagnostic tools in equine clinical investigation. To discover diagnostic or prognostic protein markers for colitis in horse serum, comprehensive and comparative proteomic analysis was conducted using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry...
Sharma D, Gupta S, Sethi K, Kumar S, Kumar R.Trypanosoma evansi, a hemoflagellate protozoan parasite, causes wasting disease called surra in wide range of animals. Although the organism has been reported from various parts of India, data generated from organized epidemiological study is still in infancy in majority states of India. In the present study, livestock of Himachal Pradesh, India, was targeted for epidemiological investigation of T. evansi infections. A total of 440 equines and 444 cattle serum samples were collected from four agro-climatic zones. Furthermore, serum samples of 280 buffaloes from three different agro-climatic zo...
Câmara ACL, de Sousa Argenta VL, de Moraes DDA, Fonseca EF, Fino TCM, Paludo GR, Soto-Blanco B.Determining the prognosis of poisoning by plants containing pyrrolizidine alkaloids is usually challenging. This study aimed to identify important prognostic parameters that can determine the severity of spontaneous poisoning by in horses. Blood samples from 42 horses spontaneously poisoned by oats contaminated with seeds were evaluated. Complete blood counts (CBC) and serum biochemical tests [urea, creatinine, total protein, albumin, total and direct bilirubin concentrations, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and creatine kinase (CK) activities] were performed...
Nyindo MB, Ristic M, Lewis GE, Huxsoll DL, Stephenson EH.Four ponies experimentally infected with Ehrlichia equi developed substantial cell-mediated immune responses, as measured by the leukocyte migration-inhibition test. Serum anti-E equi antibodies up to 1:1,280 were demonstrated by the indirect fluorescent antibody test. Cell-mediated immune responses returned to a base-line value by day 200 after primary inoculation, but serum antibody titers persisted for at least 300 days after inoculation. Two additional susceptible ponies, which were inoculated with convalescent blood or organ homogenates from ponies recovered from acute equine ehrlichiosis...
Fortier LA, Kornatowski MA, Mohammed HO, Jordan MT, O'Cain LC, Stevens WB.Structural changes in articular cartilage associated with the ageing process require definition for investigators performing developmental and age-related studies, for which information is lacking. Objective: To 1) determine the onset and end of puberty as defined by serum insulin like growth factor (IGF-I) and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) concentrations and 2) correlate articular-epiphyseal cartilage complex structural changes with the onset and end of puberty. Methods: IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were measured in serum samples from normal female and male horses age 9-715 days to determine peak and ...
Johnson L, Thompson DL.Testes and blood samples were obtained from 201 stallions aged 6 months to 20 years in either December-January (nonbreeding season) or June-July (breeding season) to study the effect of age and season on reproductive parameters. Seasonal differences in the Sertoli cell population of adult (4-20 years old) horses were characterized by a 36% larger number of Sertoli cells in the breeding season than in the nonbreeding season. Seasonal elevation in the Sertoli cell population was associated with an increase in testicular weight and daily sperm production per testis (DSP/testis). Concentrations of...
Washizu T, Tomoda I, Kaneko JJ.The fractionation of serum bile acids was performed in the dog, cow, horse, and human by high performance liquid chromatography equipped with an immobilized 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 alpha-HSD) column. There were significant differences in the bile acid compositions, conjugation patterns and quantities of each bile acid among these animals. Cholic acid was the major primary bile acid in the dog and cow, which constituted 62.9% and 83.5%, respectively, whereas chenodeoxycholic acid was the major acid in the horse and human, which constituted 68.4% and 46.3%, respectively. Taurine ...
Scheuch BC, Van Hoogmoed LM, Wilson WD, Snyder JR, MacDonald MH, Watson ZE, Steffey EP.To establish the route of infusion (IV or intraosseous) that results in the highest concentration of amikacin in the synovial fluid of the tibiotarsal joint and determine the duration of peak concentrations. Methods: 21 horses. Methods: Regional perfusion of a limb on 15 horses was performed. Amikacin sulfate was infused into the saphenous vein or via intraosseous infusion into the distal portion of the tibia (1 g in 56 ml of lactated Ringer's solution) or proximal portion of the metatarsus (1 g of amikacin in 26 ml of lactated Ringer's solution). Amikacin concentrations were measured in seque...
Vaerman JP, Querinjean P, Heremans JF.Equine serum and secretions were found to contain a protein which cross-reacted with an antiserum against human IgA, but not with antisera against any other human immunoglobulin. The physicochemical properties of equine IgA resembled those of human IgA. IgA was found to be the immunoglobulin having the highest secretion serum concentration ratio in equine lacteal and salivary secretions, and to be the protein produced by the majority of immunoglobulin-containing cells in the of the equine intestine.
Castillo-Olivares J, Mansfield KL, Phipps LP, Johnson N, Tearle J, Fooks AR.West Nile virus (WNV) has re-emerged as an important pathogen for humans and horses, which are considered to be incidental 'dead-end' hosts. We have demonstrated that horses are susceptible to experimental infection with WNV and that horses infected with either WNV lineage 1 or lineage 2 elicit a similar antibody profile in serum samples. These data suggest that virus-neutralizing antibody responses persist for longer than WNV-specific IgM levels in serum and that there are not any notable differences in the antibody profile following experimental infection of horses with either WNV lineage 1 ...
Crouch CF, Daly J, Hannant D, Wilkins J, Francis MJ.Protective responses generated by vaccination with an immuno-stimulating complex (ISCOM)-based vaccine for equine influenza (EQUIP F), containing a new 'American lineage' H3N8 virus, were studied. Seven ponies in the vaccine group received two intramuscular injections of EQUIP F given 6 weeks apart. Aerosol challenge with an A/eq/Newmarket/1/93 reference strain 4 weeks after booster vaccination resulted in clinical signs of infection and viral shedding in 7 influenza-naive control animals whereas the vaccinated ponies were significantly protected from both clinical signs and virus excretion. I...
Muñoz-Prieto A, Contreras-Aguilar MD, Cerón JJ, Ayala I, Martin-Cuervo M, Gonzalez-Sanchez JC, Jacobsen S, Kuleš J, Beletić A, Rubić I, Mrljak V....Changes in the salivary proteome in 12 horses with the two diseases included in equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS), equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) (n = 6) and equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) (n = 6), were evaluated using a high-resolution LC-MS/MS analysis of TMT-labelled peptides and compared to 10 healthy control horses. Serum was also analysed for comparative purposes. The comparison between the horses with EGGD and controls showed significant changes in 10 salivary proteins, whereas 36 salivary proteins were differently abundant between ESGD and control groups. The most u...
Hinchcliff KW, Rush BR, Farris JW.To evaluate plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine concentrations and serum cortisol concentration in horses with colic and assess the relationship of these variables with clinical signs, routinely measured clinicopathologic variables, and outcome in affected horses. Methods: Prospective observational study. Methods: 35 horses with colic. Methods: Blood samples were collected within 30 minutes of arrival at the veterinary hospital from horses referred because of colic. Plasma and serum samples were analyzed for cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, lactate, and electrolyte concentrations and a...
Morris DD, Moore JN, Crowe N.Over a 24-month period, serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF) activity was determined in 289 horses with colic attributable to gastrointestinal tract disease. Serum TNF activity was quantitated by use of a modified in vitro cytotoxicity bioassay, using WEHI 164 clone-13 murine fibrosarcoma cells. Causes for colic, determined by clinical and laboratory evaluation, exploratory celiotomy, or necropsy included: gastrointestinal tract rupture (GTR); ileal impaction; small intestinal strangulating obstruction (SIO); proximal enteritis (PE); transient small intestinal distention; large-colon displacement...
Womble A, Giguère S, Lee EA.The objective of this study was to determine the disposition of orally administered doxycycline in foals. Six healthy 4- to 8-week-old foals were used. Doxycycline was administered to each foal via the intragastric (IG) route at dosages of 10 and 20 mg/kg, in a cross-over design. After the first 10 mg/kg dose, five additional doses were administered at 12-h intervals. A microbiological assay was used to measure doxycycline activity in serum, urine, peritoneal fluid, synovial fluid, cerebrospinal (CSF), pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (PELF), and bronchoalveolar (BAL) cells. Following adminis...
Joó K, Bakonyi T, Szenci O, Sárdi S, Ferenczi E, Barna M, Malik P, Hubalek Z, Fehér O, Kutasi O.West Nile virus (WNV) mainly infects birds, horses and humans. Outcomes of the infection range from mild uncharacteristic signs to fatal neurologic disease. The main objectives of the present study were to measure serum IgG and IgM antibodies in naturally exposed and vaccinated horses and to compare results of haemagglutination inhibition test (HIT), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and plaque reduction neutralisation test (PRNT). Altogether 224 animals were tested by HIT for WNV antibodies and 41 horses were simultaneously examined by ELISA and PRNT. After primary screening for WNV a...
Pozio E, Sofronic-Milosavljevic L, Gomez Morales MA, Boireau P, Nöckler K.We assessed a serological method for detecting Trichinella infection in horses, specifically, an ELISA using three antigens to detect anti-Trichinella IgG (i.e. a synthetic tyvelose glycan-BSA (stg-BSA) antigen, an excretory/secretory (ES) antigen, and a crude worm extract (CWE) antigen). Serum samples were collected from 2502 horses (433 live horses from Romania and 2069 horses slaughtered in Italy and originating from Italy, Poland, Romania, and Serbia). Serum samples were also taken from horses experimentally infected with different doses of T. spiralis and T. murrelli larvae, as controls. ...
Bullone M, de Lagarde M, Vargas A, Lavoie JP.The identification of serum biomarkers of lung inflammation would facilitate the diagnosis of inflammatory airway disease (IAD) in horses. Objective: Horses with IAD have higher serum concentrations of markers of inflammation compared to controls. Methods: Twelve horses with IAD and 10 control horses. Methods: This was a prospective case-control study. Blood and BALF were collected from horses with IAD and controls. Serum concentration of surfactant protein D (SP-D), haptoglobin, serum amyloid A (SAA) and of the soluble form of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (sTREM-1) was mea...
Vatistas NJ, Sifferman RL, Holste J, Cox JL, Pinalto G, Schultz KT.Gastric ulceration is a prevalent condition of racehorses. A number of models of gastric ulceration have been described, but none mimic the conditions of a horse in training. The objectives of this study were to determine whether gastric ulcers could be induced and maintained in a group of horses in simulated race training. In addition, serum cortisol was measured on a weekly basis to investigate the possibility that stress may be important in the pathogenesis of gastric ulceration. Thirty horses used in the trial were fed Bermuda grass hay and 6 kg of a concentrate diet, and exercised 6 days/...
Dowdall SM, Proudman CJ, Klei TR, Mair T, Matthews JB.Cyathostomins are the most common parasitic nematodes of horses. Larval stages, which inhabit the intestinal wall, are particularly pathogenic and can cause severe colitis and colic. Despite their clinical importance, diagnostic techniques for the prepatent stages do not exist. A method that could estimate mucosal infection intensity would have a major impact on the control and diagnosis of cyathostominosis. Here, serum IgG(T) responses to two larval antigen complexes of 25 and 20 kDa were quantified in horses with experimental infections, natural infections and in horses that presented with c...
Arfuso F, Assenza A, Fazio F, Rizzo M, Giannetto C, Piccione G.Physical exercise induces several adaptations involving modulation of the energetic pathways to meet the energy demand during physical exercise. The branched-chain amino acids, leucine in particular, are considered as the most relevant amino acids, especially for exercise physiology. In this study, the change of leucine, valine, and tryptophan concentration was investigated in athletic horses before and after different exercise type. A total of 40 sport horses were equally divided into 4 groups according to the exercise type: group A (jumping), group B (reining), group C (32 km ride), and grou...
Cook RF, Gann SJ, Mumford JA.An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the detection of serum antibodies to equine arteritis virus (EAV). Results from this assay produced a good correlation with results from virus neutralisation tests in horses which had not been regularly vaccinated with commercially available mammalian tissue culture-derived viral vaccines. Vaccination of some horses with tissue culture-derived vaccines induced the formation of antibodies to bovine serum. These antibodies reacted with the bovine protein contaminants in the EAV ELISA antigen, producing false-positive results. Non-vir...
Nicholson AM, Trumble TN, Merritt KA, Brown MP.To determine the effects of horse age, osteochondral injury, and joint type on a synthesis biomarker and 3 degradative biomarkers of type II collagen in Thoroughbreds. Methods: Healthy rested adult (3- to 12-year-old) Thoroughbreds (n = 19), yearling (1- to 2-year-old) Thoroughbreds (40), and Thoroughbred racehorses (2 to 7 years old) undergoing arthroscopic surgery for removal of osteochondral fragments that resulted from training or racing (41). Methods: Samples of blood and metacarpophalangeal, metatarsophalangeal, or carpal joint synovial fluid (SF) were collected from all horses. Commerci...
Wilberger MS, McKenzie EC, Payton ME, Rigas JD, Valberg SJ.Exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER) is a reported syndrome in competing endurance horses; however, the prevalence and cause of ER in this population have not been defined. Objective: To determine the prevalence of ER in a sample of endurance racing horses and investigate factors, including relevant genetic defects, contributing to the occurrence of rhabdomyolysis in this group. Methods: Prospective clinical study. Methods: Riders of 101 horses participating in one of four 50-mile (80.5 km) distance races completed a comprehensive questionnaire regarding the medical history, management and perform...
Hansen S, Otten ND, Birch K, Skovgaard K, Hopster-Iversen C, Fjeldborg J.The pathophysiology of equine asthma (EA) is still not fully described, but the involvement of an allergic reaction is strongly suspected. This theory has led to the use of allergen-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E tests to support a diagnosis of asthma. The objective of this descriptive study was to evaluate the correlation between four subgroups of EA (mastocytic mild equine asthma [MEA], neutrophilic MEA, mixed MEA, and severe equine asthma [SEA]), allergen specific IgE (measured in both serum and BALF) and mRNA expression of selected genes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Serum and BAL...
Raabe ML, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC.We have previously demonstrated a high propensity for enhancement of virus replication and disease resulting from experimental immunization of ponies with a baculovirus recombinant envelope (rgp90) vaccine from equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV). The current studies were undertaken to examine the correlation between the observed in vivo vaccine enhancement and in vitro assays for antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of EIAV replication. Toward this goal an optimized EIAV in vitro enhancement assay was developed using primary equine macrophage cells and used to evaluate the enhancement prope...
Rogers HJ.Under a variety of conditions of concentration, Eh, and pH, horse anti- serum and normal horse serum exerted similar bacteriostatic effects against Type A. Ferric iron abolished the bacteriostatic effect when added during the first 2 hours of incubation at Eh+60 mV. Ferrous iron abolished the bacteriostatic effect when added after 3 hours. Ferric iron abolished the bacteriostatic effect at—140 mV. A mixture consisting of horse β- and γ-globulins together with human transferrin exerted a bacteriostatic effect similar to that of whole serum. This system responded in the same way as whole se...
Gy C, Leclere M, Vargas A, Grimes C, Lavoie JP.Asthma in horses is associated with nonspecific respiratory clinical signs and may be manifested only as exercise intolerance. Its diagnosis relies on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology in the presence of compatible clinical signs. The identification of blood biomarkers for this condition would facilitate diagnosis in the field, because there are regional areas where BAL is not routinely performed in clinical practice. Objective: Identification of blood biomarkers for the diagnosis of asthma in horses. Methods: Fourteen horses with asthma with increased neutrophil numbers in BALF (ne...
Sheoran AS, Sponseller BT, Holmes MA, Timoney JF.Equine strangles, caused by the clonal pathogen Streptococcus equi, is a source of serious economic loss despite the widespread use of commercial vaccines. The anti-phagocytic 58 kDa M-like protein (SeM) is an important protective antigen. The objective of this study was to define differences, if any, between SeM-specific convalescent serum and mucosal IgA and IgG subisotypes and those induced by vaccination with commercial strangles vaccine. SeM-specific opsonophagocytic IgGb was the predominant serum antibody in horses intramuscularly vaccinated or recently recovered from infection. Infectio...
Thoburn R, Hurvitz AI, Kunkel HG.Various mammalian species contain an anionic serum protein that reacts specifically with native DNA. It is considerably less reactive with single-strand DNA and does not react with monodeoxyribonucleotides, homopolyribonucleotides, or duplexes of homopolyribonucleotides. Synthetic dA.dT was an effective inhibitor of the reaction with native DNA, while Micrococcus luteus DNA and dG.dC were not inhibitory. This protein was encountered in the course of studies on DNA antibodies. Although it reacted with red cells coated with DNA and gave agar precipitation bands, it was clearly distinct from DNA ...
Yamashita K, Fujinaga T, Okumura M, Takiguchi M, Tsunoda N, Mizuno S.The serum concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) in horses was measured by single radial immunodiffusion (SRID) using rabbit anti-equine CRP serum to evaluate the significance of CRP as an acute-phase reactive protein. In serum samples of clinically normal newborn thoroughbred foals before being given colostrum, serum CRP was not detectable (less than or equal to 1 microgram/ml). The serum CRP concentration was found to increase quickly and reach a peak level of approximately 14.1 micrograms/ml in 12-month-old horses. Then, it decreased gradually to reach a low value of 5.4 micrograms/ml in...
