Diagnostic value of plasma and peritoneal fluid procalcitonin concentrations in horses with strangulating intestinal lesions.
Abstract: To assess the diagnostic value of plasma and peritoneal fluid procalcitonin concentrations for identification of horses with strangulating intestinal lesions. Methods: 65 horses with signs of colic of intestinal origin and 10 healthy (control) horses. Methods: For each horse, plasma and peritoneal fluid samples were obtained for a CBC and determination of total protein, procalcitonin, and lactate concentrations. Signalment and clinicopathologic findings were compared among control horses and horses with strangulating and nonstrangulating intestinal lesions. Results: Mean ± SD plasma (274.9 ± 150.8 pg/mL) and peritoneal fluid (277 ± 50.6 pg/mL) procalcitonin concentrations for horses with colic were significantly greater than the mean ± SD plasma (175.5 ± 46.0 pg/mL) and peritoneal fluid (218.8 ± 48.7 pg/mL) procalcitonin concentrations for control horses. Mean procalcitonin concentration in peritoneal fluid, but not plasma, differed significantly between horses with strangulating lesions and those with nonstrangulating lesions. A peritoneal fluid procalcitonin concentration ≥ 281.7 pg/mL had a sensitivity of 81%, specificity of 69%, positive predictive value of 56.7%, and negative predictive value of 87.9% for detection of strangulating lesions. Conclusions: Results suggested that peritoneal fluid procalcitonin concentration, when evaluated in conjunction with other clinicopathologic results, might be a sensitive indicator of intestinal ischemia and facilitate early identification of horses that require surgery to address a strangulating lesion.
Publication Date: 2020-04-01 PubMed ID: 32223710DOI: 10.2460/javma.256.8.927Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research focuses on the diagnostic significance of plasma and peritoneal fluid procalcitonin concentrations in identifying horses with strangulating intestinal lesions. The findings indicate that procalcitonin concentration in peritoneal fluid could be a sensitive marker of intestinal ischemia and could assist in the identification of horses that need surgical intervention for a strangulating lesion.
Research Methodology
- The study involved 65 horses exhibiting symptoms of colic of intestinal origin and 10 healthy horses (control group).
- From each horse, plasma and peritoneal fluid samples were obtained. These samples were then subjected to a Complete Blood Count (CBC) and determination of total protein, procalcitonin, and lactate concentrations.
- The researchers compared the signalment (summary of details about the animal) and clinicopathologic findings among the control horses and horses with strangulating and nonstrangulating intestinal lesions.
Results
- The mean procalcitonin concentrations in the plasma and peritoneal fluid of horses with colic were significantly higher than those of the control horses.
- Procalcitonin concentration in peritoneal fluid, but not in plasma, showed significant differences between horses with strangulating lesions and those with nonstrangulating lesions.
- A peritoneal fluid procalcitonin concentration greater than or equal to 281.7 pg/mL demonstrated a sensitivity of 81%, a specificity of 69%, a positive predictive value of 56.7%, and a negative predictive value of 87.9% for detection of strangulating lesions.
Conclusions
- The evidence suggests that the concentration of procalcitonin in peritoneal fluid, when evaluated alongside other clinicopathologic results, could serve as a sensitive indicator of intestinal ischemia.
- This could aid in the early identification of horses that necessitate surgery to address strangulating lesions.
Cite This Article
APA
Kilcoyne I, Nieto JE, Dechant JE.
(2020).
Diagnostic value of plasma and peritoneal fluid procalcitonin concentrations in horses with strangulating intestinal lesions.
J Am Vet Med Assoc, 256(8), 927-933.
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.256.8.927 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Ascitic Fluid
- Colic / veterinary
- Horse Diseases
- Horses
- Plasma
- Procalcitonin
Citations
This article has been cited 10 times.- Blangy-Letheule A, Vergnaud A, Dupas T, Rozec B, Lauzier B, Leroux AA. Spontaneous Sepsis in Adult Horses: From Veterinary to Human Medicine Perspectives. Cells 2023 Mar 30;12(7).
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- Meucci V, Orsetti C, Sgorbini M, Battaglia F, Cresci M, Bonelli F. Can Procalcitonin Be Dosed in Bovine Milk Using a Commercial ELISA Kit?. Animals (Basel) 2022 Jan 25;12(3).
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- Barton AK, Richter IG, Ahrens T, Merle R, Alalwani A, Lilge S, Purschke K, Barnewitz D, Gehlen H. MMP-9 Concentration in Peritoneal Fluid Is a Valuable Biomarker Associated with Endotoxemia in Equine Colic. Mediators Inflamm 2021;2021:9501478.
- Nocera I, Cingottini D, Di Franco C, Sala G, Bindi F, Spadari A, Rinnovati R, Vitale V, Jose-Cunilleras E, Sgorbini M. In-Depth Analysis of the Prognostic Factors Associated with Short-Term Outcome in Equine Colic Patients: Multicentric Retrospective Study. Animals (Basel) 2026 Feb 5;16(3).
- Bishop RC, Arrington JV, Wilkins PA, McCoy AM. Alterations in the Peritoneal Fluid Proteome of Horses with Colic Attributed to Ischemic and Non-Ischemic Intestinal Disease. Animals (Basel) 2025 May 30;15(11).
- Parra-Moyano LA, Cedeño A, Darby S, Johnson JP, Gomez DE. Blood and Peritoneal Lactate, Ratio and Difference, and Peritoneal Lactate to Total Solids Ratio for Detection of Intestinal Strangulating Obstructions in Horses. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Jul-Aug;39(4):e70121.
- Bayless RL, Cooper BL, Sheats MK. Extracted Plasma Cell-Free DNA Concentrations Are Elevated in Colic Patients with Systemic Inflammation. Vet Sci 2024 Sep 12;11(9).
- Sala G, Orsetti C, Meucci V, De Marchi L, Sgorbini M, Bonelli F. Case-Control Study: Endogenous Procalcitonin and Protein Carbonylated Content as a Potential Biomarker of Subclinical Mastitis in Dairy Cows. Vet Sci 2023 Nov 24;10(12).
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