Are Immune-Integrative Biomarkers Predictors of Systemic Inflammation in Show Jumping Horses?
Abstract: This study evaluated the dynamics of blood immune-inflammatory biomarkers in response to exercise-induced changes in jumping horses. Methods: For this purpose, adult Brazilian Sport Horses (n = 9), aged 10.1 years, both sexes, underwent a specific training test consisting of warm-up, flatwork, and jumping exercises, and recovery on a 900 m sand track over 40 min. Clinical examinations and blood collections were performed at three time points: before (T0), immediately after (T1), and 1 h after (T2) the final exercise. Hematologic and biochemical parameters, such as total protein, globulin, albumin, creatinine, lactate, glucose, creatine kinase (CPK), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were determined, and thus were calculated the following biomarkers: neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-albumin ratio (NAR), albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR), albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI). Data were analyzed using Shapiro-Wilk tests, ANOVA, Tukey tests, Kruskal-Wallis, and Dunn tests. Results: Significant changes were found in heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR), as well as in lactate, CPK, LDH, and glucose levels over time. Regarding the biomarkers, significant changes were observed: T0 to T1 in NAR, PLR, SIRI, and SII; T1 to T2 in NAR, PLR, NLR, AGR, SIRI, and SII; T0 to T2 in SIRI. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that equestrian exercises promote changes in integrative immune-inflammatory biomarkers, making them promising for monitoring the performance of jumping horses.
© 2025 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.
Publication Date: 2025-08-25 PubMed ID: 40851553DOI: 10.1111/vcp.70034Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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Are immune-integrative biomarkers effective predictors of systemic inflammation caused by exercise in show jumping horses?
Study Purpose and Background
- The study aimed to investigate how specific blood immune-inflammatory biomarkers respond to exercise in jumping horses.
- Systemic inflammation is linked to exercise stress, and identifying reliable biomarkers can help monitor horse health and performance.
- The researchers focused on adult Brazilian Sport Horses undergoing a controlled show jumping training session.
Experimental Design and Methods
- Subjects: Nine adult Brazilian Sport Horses, approximately 10 years old, both males and females.
- Exercise Protocol: The horses performed a 40-minute training including warm-up, flatwork, and jumping exercises on a 900-meter sand track.
- Data Collection: Clinical exams and blood samples were taken at three key points:
- T0: Before exercise
- T1: Immediately after exercise
- T2: One hour post-exercise
- Blood Tests: Included hematologic and biochemical measurements such as total protein, globulin, albumin, creatinine, lactate, glucose, creatine kinase (CPK), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH).
- Calculated Biomarkers: Several immune-inflammatory indexes were derived from blood measures:
- Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR)
- Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR)
- Neutrophil-to-Albumin Ratio (NAR)
- Albumin-to-Globulin Ratio (AGR)
- Albumin-Creatinine Ratio (ACR)
- Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII)
- Systemic Inflammatory Response Index (SIRI)
- Statistical Analyses: Used Shapiro-Wilk tests for normality, ANOVA with Tukey post hoc, and non-parametric tests Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests to evaluate differences over time.
Key Findings
- Physiological Changes
- Heart rate and respiratory rate significantly increased after exercise (T1) and changed during recovery (T2).
- Blood lactate, CPK, LDH, and glucose showed marked changes indicating metabolic response to exercise.
- Biomarker Changes Over Time
- From before exercise (T0) to immediately after (T1):
- Significant increases in NAR, PLR, SIRI, and SII suggest activation of immune-inflammatory pathways.
- From immediately after exercise (T1) to one hour recovery (T2):
- NAR, PLR, NLR, AGR, SIRI, and SII significantly changed, indicating ongoing immune modulation during recovery.
- Comparing T0 to T2:
- SIRI remained significantly altered, suggesting sustained systemic inflammatory response post-exercise.
- From before exercise (T0) to immediately after (T1):
Conclusions and Implications
- Show jumping exercises trigger measurable changes in multiple integrative immune-inflammatory biomarkers in horses.
- These biomarkers, particularly SIRI and SII, reflect systemic inflammation and recovery dynamics post-exercise.
- The biomarkers could be valuable for veterinarians and trainers to monitor the physiological stress and performance condition of jumping horses efficiently.
- Using such biomarkers may improve management strategies to optimize health, training, and performance outcomes in equestrian sports.
Cite This Article
APA
Alves-Junior CDB, Ferreira TC, Nunes-Pinheiro DCS.
(2025).
Are Immune-Integrative Biomarkers Predictors of Systemic Inflammation in Show Jumping Horses?
Vet Clin Pathol, 54(3), 271-280.
https://doi.org/10.1111/vcp.70034 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horses / blood
- Horses / immunology
- Biomarkers / blood
- Male
- Female
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
- Inflammation / veterinary
- Inflammation / blood
- Inflammation / immunology
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Horse Diseases / blood
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Creatine Kinase / blood
- Lactic Acid / blood
- Neutrophils
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