Evaluation of latex agglutination kits for detection of fibrin(ogen) degradation products and D-dimer in healthy horses and horses with severe colic.
Abstract: Fibrin(ogen) degradation products (FDPs) and D-dimer are sensitive indicators of excessive fibrinolysis due to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in dogs. To the authors' knowledge, latex-agglutination-based plasma FDP and D-dimer assays have not been validated for use in horses. Objective: To determine: 1) sensitivity and specificity of latex agglutination serum and plasma FDP and D-dimer assays for diagnosis of DIC; and 2) their prognostic value in horses with severe colic. Methods: At hospital admission and 24 hours later, blood was collected from 30 healthy horses and 20 horses with severe colic. Horses fulfilling predefined laboratory criteria of DIC were enrolled, and their data were subcategorized by survival for analysis. Platelet counts were determined and coagulation panel testing was performed. Serum and plasma FDP concentrations were measured using separate latex agglutination kits. Plasma D-dimer concentration was measured using 3 latex agglutination kits and a card immunofiltration test. Test sensitivity and specificity results were determined for healthy horses and those with colic. Median test values were compared between colic survivors and nonsurvivors to evaluate the prognostic usefulness of all tests. Results: Performance characteristics varied among assays and kit suppliers. The FDP assays had low sensitivity (<40%), whereas the most accurate D-dimer kit had 50% sensitivity and 97% specificity. High D-dimer concentration was the third most common hemostatic abnormality in horses with colic. Median antithrombin (AT) activity was significantly lower and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) was significantly longer in nonsurvivors than survivors. Conclusions: Commercial latex-agglutination D-dimer assays might prove useful as adjunctive tests for the diagnosis of DIC in horses with severe colic; however FDP assays are invalid for this purpose. Low AT activity and prolonged aPTT at admission are associated with a poor prognosis in this patient population.
Publication Date: 2005-11-05 PubMed ID: 16270263DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-165x.2005.tb00064.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Evaluation Study
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of latex agglutination assays for detecting fibrin(ogen) degradation products (FDPs) and D-dimer in horses. It found mixed results with FDP tests having low sensitivity but D-dimer tests showing potential as supplementary diagnostics for horses with severe colic.
Research Objective and Methods
- The intention of this research was twofold. Firstly, the study sought to ascertain the accuracy of latex agglutination serum and plasma FDP and D-dimer tests in diagnosing disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in horses. Secondly, they wanted to evaluate the prognostic value of these tests in horses suffering from severe colic.
- Blood samples from 30 healthy horses and 20 horses with severe colic were collected at admission to a hospital and again 24 hours later. Horses with lab-defined DIC were included in the study and their data analyzed based on survival rates.
- Along with determining platelet counts, coagulation panel testing was carried out. Serum and plasma FDP levels were measured using different latex agglutination kits while plasma D-dimer levels were determined using three latex agglutination kits and a card immunofiltration test.
Results
- Varied performance measures were observed among the assays and kit suppliers. The FDP assays exhibited low sensitivity (under 40%). On the other hand, the most accurate D-dimer kit had 50% sensitivity and 97% specificity.
- High D-dimer concentration emerged as the third most frequent hemostatic abnormality in horses with colic. The median antithrombin (AT) activity was significantly lesser and the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) was considerably longer among nonsurviving horses compared to survivors.
Conclusions
- The study concludes by suggesting that commercial latex-agglutination D-dimer tests could be helpful as supplementary tests for diagnosing DIC in horses with severe colic. However, the FDP tests were found to be unsuitable for this purpose.
- The researchers also concluded that low AT activity and extended aPTT at admission are associated with a poor prognosis in this group of patients.
Cite This Article
APA
Stokol T, Erb HN, De Wilde L, Tornquist SJ, Brooks M.
(2005).
Evaluation of latex agglutination kits for detection of fibrin(ogen) degradation products and D-dimer in healthy horses and horses with severe colic.
Vet Clin Pathol, 34(4), 375-382.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-165x.2005.tb00064.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA. ts23@cornell.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Blood Coagulation Tests / methods
- Blood Coagulation Tests / veterinary
- Colic / blood
- Colic / diagnosis
- Colic / veterinary
- Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / blood
- Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / diagnosis
- Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / veterinary
- Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / analysis
- Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / metabolism
- Fibrinolysis
- Hemostasis
- Horse Diseases / blood
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horses / blood
- Latex Fixation Tests / methods
- Latex Fixation Tests / veterinary
- Partial Thromboplastin Time / methods
- Partial Thromboplastin Time / veterinary
- Platelet Count / methods
- Platelet Count / veterinary
- Prognosis
- Reagent Kits, Diagnostic / veterinary
- Sensitivity and Specificity
Citations
This article has been cited 5 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).
- Honoré ML, Pihl TH, Busk-Anderson TM, Flintrup LL, Nielsen LN. Investigation of two different human d-dimer assays in the horse. BMC Vet Res 2022 Jun 15;18(1):227.
- Barton AK, Wirth C, Bondzio A, Einspanier R, Gehlen H. Are pulmonary hemostasis and fibrinolysis out of balance in equine chronic pneumopathies?. J Vet Sci 2017 Sep 30;18(3):349-357.
- Alonso Jde M, Rodrigues KA, Yamada AL, Watanabe MJ, Alves AL, Rodrigues CA, Hussni CA. Peritoneal reactivity evaluation in horses subjected to experimental small colon enterotomy and treated with subcutaneous heparin. Vet Med Int 2014;2014:385392.
- Brown JE, Noormohammadi AH, Courtman NF. Immunoreactivity of canine, feline, and equine D-dimer with antibodies to human D-dimer. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Jan-Feb;38(1):187-196.
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