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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Rec / Are serum amyloid A or D-lactate useful to diagnose synovial...
The Veterinary record2017; 181(16); 425; doi: 10.1136/vr.104386

Are serum amyloid A or D-lactate useful to diagnose synovial contamination or sepsis in horses?

Abstract: Synovial sepsis in horses is life threatening and accurate diagnosis allowing prompt treatment is warranted. This study assessed the diagnostic value of serum amyloid A (SAA) and D-lactate in blood and synovial fluid (SF) as diagnostic markers of synovial sepsis in horses and correlated them with total nucleated cell count (TNCC), percentage of neutrophils (%N) and total protein (TP) in SF. Blood and SF SAA and D-lactate concentrations were determined in a case-control observational study including 112 horses (38 with synovial contamination or sepsis (SCS), 66 with non-septic intra-synovial pathology (NSISP) and 8 controls). Blood and SF SAA were significantly higher in SCS than in NSISP and control horses. SAA values were similar in NSISP and control horses. SF SAA was moderately correlated with synovial TNCC, TP and blood SAA. Blood and SF SAA were 82.4 per cent and 80 per cent sensitive and 88.9 per cent and 73 per cent specific for diagnosis of SCS, with cut-off values of 60.7 and 1.14 µg/ml, respectively. Blood and SF D-lactate concentrations were not significantly different between groups. This study shows that blood and SF SAA concentrations can aid to distinguish SCS from non-septic synovial pathology; however, D-lactate was not useful.
© British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.
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Publication Date: 2017-08-01 PubMed ID: 28765498PubMed Central: PMC5738594DOI: 10.1136/vr.104386Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Observational Study

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This study examined the efficacy of serum amyloid A (SAA) and D-lactate in diagnosing synovial sepsis in horses, finding that while SAA levels in both blood and synovial fluid can assist in distinguishing sepsis from non-septic conditions, D-lactate wasn’t a useful indicator.

Study Design and Participants

  • The researchers designed a case-control observational study. They considered 112 horses for their research: 38 horses diagnosed with synovial contamination or sepsis (SCS), 66 with non-septic intra-synovial pathology (NSISP) and 8 healthy horses for control.

Measurements Taken

  • The study investigated blood and synovial fluid (SF) concentrations of serum amyloid A (SAA) and D-lactate. SAA and D-lactate are biomarkers found in blood and other body fluids, and their concentrations can indicate the presence of inflammatory or infection conditions.
  • The researchers also determined total nucleated cell count (TNCC), percentage of neutrophils (%N), and total protein (TP) in the SF. These measurements were used to correlate the results.

Findings and Implications

  • The study found significantly higher levels of SAA in blood and SF in SCS horses compared to NSISP and control horses.
  • SAA levels were similar in NSISP and control horses, suggesting the elevated levels in SCS horses directly related to the presence of sepsis or contamination.
  • However, D-lactate concentrations in blood and SF did not significantly differ among the groups, indicating it’s not a useful diagnostic marker for SCS.
  • The sensitivity and specificity of SAA for diagnosing SCS were found to be 82.4% and 80% for blood and SF respectively. This suggests that SAA can be a reliable marker for SCS when using cut-off values of 60.7 and 1.14 µg/ml.
  • The findings of this study might be instrumental in improving the early diagnosis and treatment of synovial sepsis in horses. This could potentially lead to better health outcomes and less mortality in horses suffering from this severe condition.

Cite This Article

APA
Robinson CS, Singer ER, Piviani M, Rubio-Martinez LM. (2017). Are serum amyloid A or D-lactate useful to diagnose synovial contamination or sepsis in horses? Vet Rec, 181(16), 425. https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.104386

Publication

The Veterinary record
ISSN: 2042-7670
NlmUniqueID: 0031164
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 181
Issue: 16
Pages: 425

Researcher Affiliations

Robinson, Claire S
  • Department of Equine Clinical Science, Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Wirral, UK.
Singer, Ellen R
  • Department of Equine Clinical Science, Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Wirral, UK.
Piviani, Martina
  • Department of Small Animal Clinical Science, Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Wirral, UK.
Rubio-Martinez, Luis M
  • Department of Equine Clinical Science, Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Wirral, UK.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Female
  • Horse Diseases / blood
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
  • Horses
  • Lactate Dehydrogenases / blood
  • Male
  • Sepsis / blood
  • Sepsis / diagnosis
  • Sepsis / veterinary
  • Serum Amyloid A Protein / analysis
  • Synovial Fluid / chemistry

Conflict of Interest Statement

Competing interests: None declared

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Citations

This article has been cited 16 times.
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