Analyze Diet
Equine veterinary journal2020; 53(5); 944-954; doi: 10.1111/evj.13392

Inflammatory cytokines in horses with cervical articular process joint osteoarthritis on standing cone beam computed tomography.

Abstract: Standing cone beam computed tomography (CT) provides cross-sectional imaging of the caudal cervical articular process joints (CAPJs) in the sedated horse, though the clinical implications of osteoarthritis (OA) identified on CT in this location are unknown. Increases in concentrations of intra-synovial cytokines could lend support to the clinical significance of CAPJ OA identified on this imaging modality. Objective: Investigate the presence and concentration of intra-synovial inflammatory cytokines in CAPJs with and without standing cone beam CT evidence of OA using an equine specific multiplex assay. Methods: Prospective clinical study. Methods: Standing cone beam CT of C5-6 and C6-7 was performed on horses with CAPJ OA and control horses. Synovial fluid samples of the CAPJs of C5-6 and C6-7 were obtained bilaterally using ultrasound guidance and analysed for concentrations of IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17 and TNFα with the Milliplex® multi-analyte profiling kit. CT Images were retrospectively graded using a novel grading scheme. Significant differences between concentrations of inflammatory cytokines between joints with different categories of osteoarthritis severity were explored using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test or Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: Concentrations of intra-synovial cytokines were higher in joints with moderate to severe OA when compared to joints with no or mild OA, with differences in concentrations of IL-17 reaching statistical significance (P = .007). Conclusions: Limitations include discrepancy in number, age, and breed between control and OA populations, use of a novel grading scheme, and lack of a histologic gold-standard to confirm the presence and severity of CAPJ OA. Conclusions: Differences in inflammatory cytokines between caudal CAPJs with and without evidence of moderate to severe osteoarthritis on standing cone beam CT exist. This finding lends support to the clinical relevance of a diagnosis of moderate to severe CAPJ OA in the caudal cervical vertebral column as identified with this imaging modality.
Publication Date: 2020-12-08 PubMed ID: 33222300DOI: 10.1111/evj.13392Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
  • 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 research aims to examine the presence and concentration of internal inflammation in horses with symptoms of cervical articular process joint osteoarthritis using standing cone beam computed tomography. This method allowed the researchers to measure higher amounts of inflammation in joints with higher severity osteoarthritis, suggesting correlations between joint health and inflammation levels observable through this imaging technique.

Research Objectives and Methodology

  • The main purpose of the research was to determine if increased concentrations of intra-synovial cytokines could provide evidence for the clinical importance of CAPJ OA identified through CT imaging.
  • Using a prospective clinical study, standing cone beam CT scans of C5-6 and C6-7 were performed on horses with CAPJ OA and control horses.
  • Samples of synovial fluid were taken from the joints of C5-6 and C6-7 of the subjects, using ultrasound guidance. The samples were then analyzed and their concentrations of IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, and TNFα were determined using a Milliplex® multi-analyte profiling kit.
  • The CT images were retrospectively rated using a new gradation system. This method allowed the researchers to examine the differences in concentrations of inflammatory cytokines among joints with different categories of osteoarthritis severity.

Findings and Conclusions

  • Results showed that higher concentrations of intra-synovial cytokines were present in the joints of horses with moderate to severe osteoarthritis, as compared to those with no or mild osteoarthritis. Particularly, differences in the concentration of IL-17 reached a statistically significant level (P = .007).
  • Despite the limitations of the study such as discrepancy in population parameters and lack of a histologic gold-standard, the evidence supports the clinical relevance of a prospect diagnosis of moderate to severe CAPJ OA in the caudal cervical vertebral column, as identified through standing cone beam CT imaging.

Cite This Article

APA
Brown KA, Davidson EJ, Johnson AL, Wulster KB, Ortved K. (2020). Inflammatory cytokines in horses with cervical articular process joint osteoarthritis on standing cone beam computed tomography. Equine Vet J, 53(5), 944-954. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13392

Publication

ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 53
Issue: 5
Pages: 944-954

Researcher Affiliations

Brown, Kara A
  • Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA, USA.
Davidson, Elizabeth J
  • Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA, USA.
Johnson, Amy L
  • Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA, USA.
Wulster, Kathryn B
  • Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA, USA.
Ortved, Kyla
  • Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania, Kennett Square, PA, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Cone-Beam Computed Tomography / veterinary
  • Cytokines
  • Horse Diseases / diagnostic imaging
  • Horses
  • Osteoarthritis / diagnostic imaging
  • Osteoarthritis / veterinary
  • Prospective Studies
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Synovial Fluid

Grant Funding

  • 580-5805-1-461975-xxx-2000-5498 / Raymond Firestone Trust and Tamworth Research Grant

References

This article includes 41 references
  1. Dyson S. Lesions of the equine neck resulting in lameness or poor performance.. Vet Clin Am: Equine Pract 2011;27(3):417-37.
  2. Didierlaurent D, Contremoulins V, Denoix J-M, Audigie F. Scintigraphic pattern of uptake of 99mTechnetium by the cervical vertebrae of sound horses.. Vet Record 2009;164:809-13.
  3. van Bierlvliet J, Scrivani PV, Divers TJ, Erb HN, de Lahunta A, Nixon A. Evaluation of decision criteria for detection of spinal cord compression based on cervical myelography in horses: 38 cases (1981-2001).. Equine Vet J 2004;36(1):14-20.
  4. Down SS, Henson FMD. Radiographic retrospective study of the caudal articular process joints in the horse.. Equine Vet J 2009;41(6):518-24.
  5. Mitchell CW, Nykamp SG, Foster R, Cruz R, Montieth G. The use of magnetic resonance imaging in evaluating horses with spinal ataxia.. Vet Radiol Ultrasound 2012;53:613-20.
  6. Kristoffersen M, Puchalski S, Skog S, Lindegaard C. Cervical computed tomography (CT) and CT myelography in live horses: 16 cases.. Equine Vet J 2014;46:11.
  7. Cuéllar VG, Cuéllar JM, Kirsch T, Strauss EJ. Correlation of synovial fluid biomarkers with cartilage pathology and associated outcomes in knee arthroscopy.. Arthroscopy 2016;32:475-85.
  8. Kamm JL, Nixon AJ, Witte TH. Cytokine and catabolic enzyme expression in synovium, synovial fluid and articular cartilage of naturally osteoarthriticequine carpi.. Equine Vet J 2010;42:693-9.
  9. Ley C, Ekman S, Elmén A, Nilsson G, Eloranta ML. Interleukin-6 and tumour necrosis factor in synovial fluid from horses with carpal joint pathology.. J Vet Med A Physiol Pathol Clin Med 2007;54:346-51.
  10. Bertone AL, Palmer JL, Jones J. Synovial fluid cytokines and eicosanoids as markers of joint disease in horses.. Vet Surg 2001;30:528-38.
  11. Bertuglia A, Pagliara E, Grego E, Ricci A, Brkljaca-Bottegaro N. Pro-inflammatory cytokines and structural biomarkers are effective to categorize osteoarthritis phenotype and progression in Standardbred racehorses over five years of racing career.. BMC Vet Res 2016;12:246.
  12. Kester WO. Definition and classification of lameness.. In: Guide for Veterinary Service and Judging of Equestrian Events. Lexington, KY: American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), 1991; p. 19.
  13. Mayhew LG, DeLahunta A, Whitlock RH. Spinal cord disease in the horse.. Cornell Vet 1978;68:1-207.
  14. Withers JM, Voûte LC, Hammond G, Lischer CJ. Radiographic anatomy of the articular process joints of the caudal cervical vertebrae in the horse on lateral and oblique projections.. Equine Vet J 2009;41:895-902.
  15. Butler JA, Colles CM, Dyson SJ, Kold SE, Poulos PW. Chapter 12. The vertebral column.. In: Clinical Radiology of the Horse. 4th ed. Ames, Iowa: John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2017; p. 531-608.
  16. Mattoon JS, Drost T, Grguric MR, Auld DM, Reed SM. Technique for equine cervical articular process joint injection.. Vet Radiol Ultrasound 2004;45:238-40.
  17. Espinosa-Mur P, Phillips KL, Galuppo L, Spriet M, Shaw KL, Benoit P. Radiographic and ultrasonographic findings of the caudal cervical region in 105 warmblood horses.. Vet Surg 2018;47:E16.
  18. Wojdasiewicz P, Poniatowski ŁA, Szukiewicz D. The role of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis.. Mediators Inflamm 20142014:561459.
  19. Honorati MC, Bovara M, Cattini L, Piacentini A, Facchini A. Contribution of interleukin 17 to human cartilage degradation and synovial inflammation in osteoarthritis.. Osteoarthr Cartil 2002;10:799-807.
  20. Pinto LG, Cunha TM, Vieira SM, Lemos HP, Verri WA, Cunha FQ. IL-17 mediates articular hypernociception in antigen-induced arthritis in mice.. Pain 2010;148:247-56.
  21. Chen B, Deng Y, Tan Y, Qin J, Chen LB. Association between severity of knee osteoarthritis and serum and synovial fluid interleukin 17 concentrations.. J Int Med Res 2014;42:138-44.
  22. John T, Müller RD, Oberholzer A, Zreiqat H, Kohl B, Ertel W. Interleukin-10 modulates pro-apoptotic effects of TNF-α in human articular chondrocytes in vitro.. Cytokine 2007;40:226-34.
  23. Wang Y, Lou S. Direct protective effect of interleukin-10 on articular chondrocytes in vitro.. Chin Med J (Engl) 2001;114:723-5.
  24. Jansen NWD, Roosendaal G, Hooiveld MJJ, Bijlsma JWJ, Roon JAGV, Theobald M. Interleukin-10 protects against blood-induced joint damage.. Br J Haematol 2008;142:953-61.
  25. Zhang X, Mao Z, Yu C. Suppression of early experimental osteoarthritis by gene transfer of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist and interleukin-10.. J Orthop Res 2004;22:742-50.
  26. Helmark IC, Mikkelson UR, Borglum J, Rothe A, Peterson MC, Anderson O. Exercise increases interleukin-10 levels both intraarticularly and peri-synovially in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial.. Arthritis Res Ther 2010;12:R126.
  27. Veraa S, Bergmann W, van den Belt AJ, Wijnberg I, Back W. Ex vivo computed tomographic evaluation of morphology variations in equine cervical vertebrae.. Vet Radiol Ultrasound 2016;57:482-8.
  28. May-Davis S. The occurrence of a congenital malformation in the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae predominantly observed in thoroughbred horses.. J Equine Vet Sci 2014;34:1313-7.
  29. Veraa S, de Graaf K, Wijnberg ID, Back W, Vernooij H, Nielen M. Caudal cervical vertebral morphological variation is not associated with clinical signs in Warmblood horses.. Equine Vet J 2020;52:219-24.
  30. Derouen A, Spriet M, Aleman M. Prevalence of anatomical variation of the sixth cervical vertebra and association with vertebral canal stenosis and articular process osteoarthritis in the horse.. Vet Radiol Ultrasound 2016;57:253-8.
  31. Haussler KK, Pool RR, Clayton HM. Characterization of bony changes localized to the cervical articular processes in a mixed population of horses.. PLoS One 2019;14:1-27.
  32. Oswald J, Love S, Parkin TDH, Hughes KJ. Prevalence of cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy in a population of thoroughbred horses.. Vet Rec 2010;166:82-3.
  33. Pathria M, Sartoris DJ, Resnick D. Osteoarthritis of the facet joints: accuracy of oblique radiographic assessment.. Radiology 1987;164:227-30.
  34. Pietschmann P, Gollob E, Brosch S, Hahn P, Kudlacek S, Willheim M. The effect of age and gender on cytokine production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and markers of bone metabolism.. Exp Gerontol 2003;38:1119-27.
  35. Tsuchida AI, Beekhuizen M, 't Hart MC, Radstake TRDJ, Dhert WJ, Saris DB. Cytokine profiles in the joint depend on pathology, but are different between synovial fluid, cartilage tissue and cultured chondrocytes.. Arthritis Res Ther 2014;16:441.
  36. Nielson JV, Berg LC, Thoefner MV, Thomson PD. Accuracy of ultrasound-guided intra-articular injection of cervical facet joints in horses: a cadaveric study.. Equine Vet J 2003;35(7):657-61.
  37. Johnson JP, Stack JD, Rowan C, Handel I, O'Leary JM. Ultrasound-guided approach to the cervical articular process joints in horses: a validation of the technique in cadavers.. Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol 2017;30(3):165-71.
  38. Pérez-Nogués M, Vaughan B, Phillips KL, Galuppo LD. Evaluation of the caudal cervical articular process joints by using a needle arthroscope in standing horses.. Vet Surg 2020;49(3):463-71.
  39. Tucker R, Piercy RJ, Dixon JJ, Muir CF, Smith KC, Potter KE. Arthroscopic treatment for cervical articular process joint osteochondrosis in a Thoroughbred horse.. Equine Vet Educ 2018;30:116-21.
  40. Bergmann W, de Mik-van Mourik M, Veraa S, van den Broek J, Wijnber ID, Back W. Cervical articular process joint osteochondrosis in Warmblood foals.. Equine Vet J 2020;52:664-9.
  41. Stieber J, Quirno M, Cunningham M, Errico TJ, Bendo JA. The reliability of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging grading of lumbar facet arthropathy in total disc replacement patients.. Spine 2009;34(23):833-40.

Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. Yao S, Deng M, Du X, Huang R, Chen Q. A Novel Hypoxia Related Marker in Blood Link to Aid Diagnosis and Therapy in Osteoarthritis. Genes (Basel) 2022 Aug 23;13(9).
    doi: 10.3390/genes13091501pubmed: 36140669google scholar: lookup
  2. Story MR, Nout-Lomas YS, Aboellail TA, Selberg KT, Barrett MF, Mcllwraith CW, Haussler KK. Dangerous Behavior and Intractable Axial Skeletal Pain in Performance Horses: A Possible Role for Ganglioneuritis (14 Cases; 2014-2019). Front Vet Sci 2021;8:734218.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.734218pubmed: 34957274google scholar: lookup
  3. Mao H, Han B, Li H, Tao Y, Wu W. FABP4 knockdown suppresses inflammation, apoptosis and extracellular matrix degradation in IL-1β-induced chondrocytes by activating PPARγ to regulate the NF-κB signaling pathway. Mol Med Rep 2021 Dec;24(6).
    doi: 10.3892/mmr.2021.12495pubmed: 34651666google scholar: lookup
  4. Bierau J, Cruz AM, Koch C, Manso-Diaz G, Büttner K, Staszyk C, Röcken M. Visualization of anatomical structures in the fetlock region of the horse using cone beam computed tomography in comparison with conventional multidetector computed tomography. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1278148.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1278148pubmed: 38260210google scholar: lookup