Cerebrospinal fluid creatine kinase activity in horses with central nervous system disease: 69 cases (1984-1989).

The research investigated the activity of creatine kinase (CK), found in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), in 69 horses suffering from various central nervous system (CNS) diseases. It concluded that elevated CK activity was commonly associated with equine protozoal myelitis while horses with cervical compressive myelopathy didn’t demonstrate increased CK activity.

Background and Purpose of the Study

• The study aimed to explore the connection between the levels of creatine kinase (CK), an enzyme related to energy production, in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and diseases affecting the central nervous system in horses.
• CK is important in the process of energy transfer in cells. Abnormal levels of CK can be an indicator of damage to brain tissue, muscle tissue, or other organs where CK is concentrated.

Methods and Findings

• 70 CSF samples were analyzed from 69 horses diagnosed with various central nervous system (CNS) diseases.
• Abnormal CK activity levels, which equates to 1 IU/L or higher, were found in 32 samples. The other 38 samples exhibited normal CK activity levels, being less than 1 IU/L.
• The researchers discovered that increased CK activity was most frequently associated with a CNS disease called equine protozoal myelitis. This disease is a serious, progressive disorder in horses caused by a parasitic infection in the brain or spinal cord.
• CK activity was not elevated in 11 horses that were diagnosed with cervical compressive myelopathy, a condition where the spinal cord in the neck is compressed, causing neurological symptoms.
• Higher CSF CK activity was also found in cases of other conditions, such as trauma, idiopathic epilepsy, botulism, articular facet fracture, intervertebral disk protrusion, and toxemia.

Implications of the Study

• The findings of the study suggest that the level of CK activity in CSF may be a helpful biochemical marker in diagnosing and monitoring CNS diseases in horses.
• However, the lack of increased CK activity in conditions like cervical compressive myelopathy indicates that it’s not universally applicable to all CNS diseases.
• Further research is needed to understand better why certain conditions elevate CK activity and others do not.