Analysis of neurofilament concentration in healthy adult horses and utility in the diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis and equine motor neuron disease.
Abstract: Neurofilaments (NFs) are structural proteins of neurons that are released in significant quantities in the cerebrospinal fluid and blood as a result of neuronal degeneration or axonal damage. Therefore, NFs have potential as biomarkers for neurologic disorders. Neural degeneration increases with age and has the potential to confound the utility of NFs as biomarkers in the diagnosis of neurologic disorders. We investigated this relationship in horses with and without neurological diagnosis. While controlling for horse type (draft, pleasure, and racing), we evaluated the relationship between serum heavy-chain phosphorylated neurofilaments (pNF-H) and age, sex, and serum vitamin E concentrations. Serum pNF-H concentrations increased by 0.002 ng/ml for each year increase in age. There were significant differences in the serum pNF-H concentration among the type of activity performed by the horse. The highest serum pNF-H concentration was found in horses performing heavy work activity (racehorse) and with lower serum pNF-H concentration found among light (pleasure riding) and moderate (draft) activity. There was no significant association between the pNF-H concentration and sex or vitamin E concentration. Serum pNF-H concentration was elevated among horses afflicted with EMND and EPM when compared with control horses without evidence of neurologic disorders. Accordingly, serum pNF-H concentration can serve as a useful biomarker to complement the existing diagnostic work-up of horses suspected of having EPM or EMND.
Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Publication Date: 2019-05-11 PubMed ID: 31103855DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2019.04.018Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The researchers investigated the potential of neurofilament concentrations, structural proteins released by neurons during degeneration or damage, as biomarkers for neurological disorders in horses. The study found a relationship between the level of neurofilaments and the age or work activity of the horse, suggesting their utility in diagnosing equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) and equine motor neuron disease (EMND).
Objective and Methodology
- The researchers conducted this study to evaluate the efficiency of neurofilaments as biomarkers of neurological disorders in horses.
- They investigated the relationship between neurofilament levels and various factors such as age, sex, and serum vitamin E concentrations of the horses. The researchers also considered the type of work activity (heavy, moderate, light) performed by the horses.
Findings
- The study found that the serum concentration of heavy-chain phosphorylated neurofilaments (pNF-H), a type of neurofilament, increased by 0.002 ng/ml with each year increase in the horse’s age.
- The researchers noted a significant variation in neurofilament concentration based on the type of activity performed by the horse. The highest concentration was identified in horses performing heavy work (racehorses), followed by moderate (draft) activity, and lowest in light (pleasure riding) activity.
- The study found no significant association between neurofilament concentration and sex or serum vitamin E concentration of the horse.
Implications and Conclusion
- The researchers observed a higher concentration of pNF-H in horses afflicted with EPM and EMND, indicating that neurofilament concentration can serve as a biomarker for these neurologic disorders.
- In conclusion, they suggest that serum pNF-H concentration would be a useful complement to the traditional diagnostic methods when suspecting cases of EPM or EMND in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Morales Gómez AM, Zhu S, Palmer S, Olsen E, Ness SL, Divers TJ, Bischoff K, Mohammed HO.
(2019).
Analysis of neurofilament concentration in healthy adult horses and utility in the diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis and equine motor neuron disease.
Res Vet Sci, 125, 1-6.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2019.04.018 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. Electronic address: hom1@cornell.edu.
MeSH Terms
- Age Factors
- Animals
- Biomarkers / blood
- Biomarkers / cerebrospinal fluid
- Central Nervous System Protozoal Infections / diagnosis
- Central Nervous System Protozoal Infections / epidemiology
- Central Nervous System Protozoal Infections / veterinary
- Encephalomyelitis / blood
- Encephalomyelitis / cerebrospinal fluid
- Encephalomyelitis / diagnosis
- Encephalomyelitis / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / blood
- Horse Diseases / cerebrospinal fluid
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horses
- Intermediate Filaments / physiology
- Male
- Motor Neuron Disease / diagnosis
- Motor Neuron Disease / epidemiology
- Motor Neuron Disease / veterinary
- Multivariate Analysis
- Neurofilament Proteins / blood
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / classification
- Regression Analysis
- Sex Factors
- Vitamin E / blood
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Donnelly CG, Johnson AL, Reed S, Finno CJ. Cerebrospinal fluid and serum proteomic profiles accurately distinguish neuroaxonal dystrophy from cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Mar;37(2):689-696.
- Donnelly CG, Finno CJ. Vitamin E depletion is associated with subclinical axonal degeneration in juvenile horses. Equine Vet J 2023 Sep;55(5):884-890.
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