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Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association2013; 243(1); 113-119; doi: 10.2460/javma.243.1.113

Assessment of serum amyloid A testing of horses and its clinical application in a specialized equine practice.

Abstract: To compare serum amyloid A (SAA) concentration, plasma fibrinogen concentration, total WBC count, and serum albumin-to-globulin concentration ratio (A:G ratio) in clinically normal (CN) and clinically abnormal (CA) horses. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Methods: 111 CN horses and 101 CA horses hospitalized at a specialty clinical practice. Methods: Shortly after admission, a blood sample (20 mL) was collected from each horse for a CBC, serum protein electrophoresis, and determination of plasma fibrinogen concentration; SAA concentration was assessed with a previously validated immunoturbidometric assay. Similar testing of a subset of CA horses was conducted at various points during treatment. Results: Total WBC count, A:G ratio, and SAA concentration were determined for all 212 horses; data regarding plasma fibrinogen concentration were available for 127 horses (of which 47 were CN and 80 were CA). Median SAA concentration, total WBC count, and plasma fibrinogen concentration and mean A:G ratio differed significantly between CN horses and CA horses. Correlations between these variables were poor to weak. For discrimination of CN horses from CA horses, the SAA assay had sensitivity of 53% and specificity of 94% (diagnostic accuracy, 75%); for the other assessments, accuracy ranged from 59% to 62%. Repeated assessment of SAA concentration in some CA horses revealed a gradual return to normal concentrations. Conclusions: Results indicated that assessment of SAA concentration can provide valuable information regarding the clinical state of horses and may be more useful for patient monitoring and as a prognostic indicator than are traditional markers of inflammation.
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Publication Date: 2013-06-22 PubMed ID: 23786199DOI: 10.2460/javma.243.1.113Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

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.

The study investigates the use of serum amyloid A (SAA) testing in horses to distinguish between clinically normal (CN) and clinically abnormal (CA) horses. It suggests that SAA concentration could be a more effective means of assessing a horse’s clinical state and predicting its prognosis, compared to traditional inflammation markers.

Research Objectives and Methods

  • The main objective of the study was to compare the concentration of serum amyloid A (SAA), plasma fibrinogen, total white blood cell (WBC) count, and serum albumin-to-globulin ratio (A:G ratio) in clinically normal and clinically abnormal horses.
  • This prospective cohort study involved a total of 212 horses, with 111 classified as clinically normal and 101 as clinically abnormal.
  • Upon admission, a blood sample was drawn from each horse for various tests, including a Complete Blood Count (CBC), serum protein electrophoresis, and determination of plasma fibrinogen concentration. The SAA concentration was determined with an immunoturbidometric assay that had been validated in earlier research.
  • Further tests were conducted on a subset of clinically abnormal horses at different stages of treatment.

Research Findings

  • Data were collected on total WBC count, A:G ratio, and SAA concentration for all 212 horses, and plasma fibrinogen concentration for a subset of 127 horses. Of these, significant differences were noted in median SAA concentration, total WBC count, plasma fibrinogen concentration, and mean A:G ratio between clinically normal and clinically abnormal horses.
  • Correlations between these variables were found to be poor to weak, indicating that these variables largely operate independently of each other in influencing the clinical status of the horses.
  • In distinguishing clinically normal horses from clinically abnormal ones, the SAA assay showed a sensitivity of 53% and specificity of 94%, indicating a reasonable accuracy for this test. The accuracy of the other tests ranged from 59% to 62%.
  • In clinically abnormal horses subjected to repeat SAA testing, concentrations gradually returned to normal levels over time.

Conclusions

  • The study concludes that SAA concentration is a valuable indicator of a horse’s clinical state and may be more useful for patient monitoring and predicting prognosis than traditional markers of inflammation.
  • This suggests that SAA testing has potential to improve veterinary care for horses, enabling more accurate assessment of a horse’s health and more effective monitoring of treatment progress.

Cite This Article

APA
Belgrave RL, Dickey MM, Arheart KL, Cray C. (2013). Assessment of serum amyloid A testing of horses and its clinical application in a specialized equine practice. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 243(1), 113-119. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.243.1.113

Publication

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
ISSN: 1943-569X
NlmUniqueID: 7503067
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 243
Issue: 1
Pages: 113-119

Researcher Affiliations

Belgrave, Rodney L
  • Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center, Ringoes, NJ 08551, USA.
Dickey, Meranda M
    Arheart, Kristopher L
      Cray, Carolyn

        MeSH Terms

        • Acute-Phase Reaction / blood
        • Acute-Phase Reaction / metabolism
        • Acute-Phase Reaction / veterinary
        • Animals
        • Biomarkers / blood
        • Female
        • Horse Diseases / blood
        • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
        • Horse Diseases / metabolism
        • Horses
        • Male
        • Serum Amyloid A Protein / metabolism

        Citations

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