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Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)2019; 249; 58-59; doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2019.05.009

Hair cortisol concentration is inversely related to the severity of equine squamous gastric disease.

Abstract: Equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) is common in horses and many factors, including stress, may play a role in lesion development. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) provides a measure of medium to long-term stress and therefore, the relationship between HCC and ESGD was examined in this study. Hair samples were collected from 25 horses and gastroscopy was performed to determine the presence and severity of ESGD. Hair cortisol concentrations were lower in horses with ESGD (P = 0.014), and negatively correlated with lesion severity. Mares had lower HCC than geldings (P = 0.031), and a higher prevalence of ESGD, while age had no significant effect. Further studies are required to determine the relevance of the association between HCC and ESGD.
Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Publication Date: 2019-05-24 PubMed ID: 31239166DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2019.05.009Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 research investigates stress in horses in relation to equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD), finding that lower hair cortisol levels correlate with more severe ESGD symptoms.

Objectives and Methods

  • The main aim of this study was to explore the relationship between hair cortisol concentration (HCC) – a marker of medium to long-term stress – and the occurrence and severity of ESGD in horses.
  • The researchers collected hair samples from 25 horses and performed gastroscopies on them to identify the presence and evaluate the severity of ESGD.

Findings

  • The findings revealed that horses with ESGD had noticeably lower HCC, indicating an inverse relationship between stress levels and ESGD severity.
  • Interestingly, the study found that mares demonstrated lower HCC compared to geldings and also showed a higher prevalence of ESGD.
  • The researchers found no significant impact of the age of the horses on these outcomes.

Conclusion

  • The study successfully identified a clear association between lower HCC and increased severity of ESGD, suggesting a potential link between lower stress levels and ESGD severity.
  • However, the researchers concluded the study by suggesting that more detailed research is necessary to fully understand the significance and implications of this correlation.

Implications

  • This research may hold important implications for understanding how stress impacts the health and well-being of horses, specifically in relation to ESGD.
  • It could potentially influence future approaches to ESGD prevention and treatment, emphasizing the importance of stress management in equine health care.

Cite This Article

APA
Prinsloo M, Hynd P, Franklin S, Weaver S, van den Boom R. (2019). Hair cortisol concentration is inversely related to the severity of equine squamous gastric disease. Vet J, 249, 58-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2019.05.009

Publication

Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
ISSN: 1532-2971
NlmUniqueID: 9706281
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 249
Pages: 58-59
PII: S1090-0233(18)30411-8

Researcher Affiliations

Prinsloo, Miguelita
  • School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Australia.
Hynd, Philip
  • Department of Animal and Veterinary Bioscience, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Australia.
Franklin, Samantha
  • Department of Equine Health, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Australia.
Weaver, Sarah
  • Department of Animal and Veterinary Bioscience, School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Australia.
van den Boom, Robin
  • Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: r.vandenboom@uu.nl.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Epithelial Cells
  • Female
  • Hair / chemistry
  • Horse Diseases / metabolism
  • Horses
  • Hydrocortisone / metabolism
  • Male
  • Stomach Diseases / metabolism
  • Stomach Diseases / veterinary

Citations

This article has been cited 11 times.
  1. Kranenburg LC, van der Poel SH, Warmelink TS, van Doorn DA, van den Boom R. Changes in Management Lead to Improvement and Healing of Equine Squamous Gastric Disease. Animals (Basel) 2023 Apr 28;13(9).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13091498pubmed: 37174535google scholar: lookup
  2. Vokes J, Lovett A, Sykes B. Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome: An Update on Current Knowledge. Animals (Basel) 2023 Apr 5;13(7).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13071261pubmed: 37048517google scholar: lookup
  3. Saluti G, Ricci M, Castellani F, Colagrande MN, Di Bari G, Vulpiani MP, Cerasoli F, Savini G, Scortichini G, D'Alterio N. Determination of hair cortisol in horses: comparison of immunoassay vs LC-HRMS/MS. Anal Bioanal Chem 2022 Nov;414(28):8093-8105.
    doi: 10.1007/s00216-022-04343-6pubmed: 36136115google scholar: lookup
  4. Cerasoli F, Podaliri Vulpiani M, Saluti G, Conte A, Ricci M, Savini G, D'Alterio N. Assessment of Welfare in Groups of Horses with Different Management, Environments and Activities by Measuring Cortisol in Horsehair, Using Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Hybrid Orbitrap High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry. Animals (Basel) 2022 Jul 6;12(14).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12141739pubmed: 35883286google scholar: lookup
  5. Lanci A, Mariella J, Ellero N, Faoro A, Peric T, Prandi A, Freccero F, Castagnetti C. Hair Cortisol and DHEA-S in Foals and Mares as a Retrospective Picture of Feto-Maternal Relationship under Physiological and Pathological Conditions. Animals (Basel) 2022 May 14;12(10).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12101266pubmed: 35625111google scholar: lookup
  6. Hewetson M, Tallon R. Equine Squamous Gastric Disease: Prevalence, Impact and Management. Vet Med (Auckl) 2021;12:381-399.
    doi: 10.2147/VMRR.S235258pubmed: 35004264google scholar: lookup
  7. Gardela J, Carbajal A, Tallo-Parra O, Olvera-Maneu S, Álvarez-Rodríguez M, Jose-Cunilleras E, López-Béjar M. Temporary Relocation during Rest Periods: Relocation Stress and Other Factors Influence Hair Cortisol Concentrations in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2020 Apr 8;10(4).
    doi: 10.3390/ani10040642pubmed: 32276388google scholar: lookup
  8. Klinck M, Lovett A, Sykes B. Incorporating a Behavioral Medicine Approach in the Multi-Modal Management of Chronic Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS): A Clinical Commentary. Animals (Basel) 2025 Oct 17;15(20).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15203019pubmed: 41153946google scholar: lookup
  9. Castellani F, Ricci M, Rosato R, Manucci A, Di Simone V, Cerasoli F, Calandrini A, Costa ED, Vulpiani MP, Scortichini G, Saluti G. Surrogate analyte approach for the determination of endogenous cortisol, cortisone, DHEA, DHEAS in horse hair and sheep wool by LC-HRMS/MS. Sci Rep 2025 Apr 29;15(1):14987.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-99470-2pubmed: 40301517google scholar: lookup
  10. Botía M, Muñoz-Prieto A, Martínez-Subiela S, Martín-Cuervo M, Hansen S, Manteca X, Cerón JJ, López-Arjona M. Oxytocin in horse saliva: validation of a highly sensitive assay and a pilot report about changes in equine gastric ulcer syndrome. BMC Vet Res 2025 Feb 22;21(1):90.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-025-04569-3pubmed: 39987089google scholar: lookup
  11. Busechian S, Bindi F, Pieramati C, Orvieto S, Pisello L, Cozzi S, Ortolani F, Rueca F. Is There a Difference in the Prevalence of Gastric Ulcers between Stallions Used for Breeding and Those Not Used for Breeding?. Animals (Basel) 2024 May 22;14(11).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14111531pubmed: 38891578google scholar: lookup
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