Acute phase proteins, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor, nitric oxide and oxidative stress markers in horses with cutaneous habronemosis under field condition.

This study investigates the relationship and variations in certain proteins, oxidative stress markers, and inflammation indicators in horses affected by cutaneous habronemosis, a common parasitic skin disease. It concludes that significant variations in these markers between healthy and infected horses can assist in the diagnosis and treatment monitoring of the disease.

Study Overview

• The study focuses on various markers in horses suffering from cutaneous habronemosis. These markers include haptoglobin (Hp), serum amyloid A (SAA), oxidative stress markers like malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF- α).
• The researchers involved 30 horses with the clinical disease and 20 healthy ones for comparison.

Methods and Measurements

• The researchers measured levels of Hp, SAA, IL-6, TNF-α, and MDA and compared them between infected and healthy horses. They also observed levels of NO, super oxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in the same way.
• The measurements were taken before and after the infected horses received two weeks of treatment.

Findings

• The study found that serum levels of Hp, SAA, IL-6, TNF-α, and MDA were significantly elevated in infected horses compared to control horses, which indicates inflammation and stress due to the disease.
• Conversely, the serum levels of SOD, GSH, and TAC, which are antioxidants, and NO, which is associated with cardiovascular function and immunity, were lower in infected horses compared to the controls, suggesting a depletion of these markers due to the disease.
• Upon treatment, all the markers under study returned to levels close to those in the control group, indicating a normalization of biological functions after recovery from the disease.

Clinical Accuracy and Usefulness

• The variations in levels of Hp, SAA, IL-6, TNF-α, and MDA showed a high degree of accuracy in diagnosing cutaneous habronemosis in horses.
• These markers’ respective “area under the curve” (AUC) values, which measure a diagnostic test’s accuracy, ranged from 0.87 to 1.0—identifying these elements as reliable biomarkers for the diagnosis of this disease.
• The findings suggest these markers could also be used to monitor the progression and effectiveness of treatment of habronemosis.