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Investigation of the Usefulness of Serum Amyloid A in Supporting the Diagnosis of Equine Proliferative Enteropathy.
Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine if serum amyloid A (SAA), a major acute-phase protein, could help support the diagnosis of equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) caused by Lawsonia intracellularis infection in foals. Archived serum samples from 101 foals with enteric signs and hypoproteinemia were available for SAA testing. Based on immunodiagnostics for L. intracellularis, the foals were divided into EPE-suspect (67) and non-EPE-suspect cases (34). Serum amyloid A values ranged from 0 to 2,761 μg/mL (median 466 μg/mL) and from 0 to 2,555 μg/mL (median 192 μg/mL) for the EPE-suspect and the non-EPE-suspect cases, respectively. Although SAA can be measured patient-side and help determine the severity of the underlying inflammatory condition, SAA was unable to consistently support the diagnosis of EPE in hypoproteinemic foals with enteric signs.
Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2020-06-06 PubMed ID: 32797779DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2020.103151Google 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
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The research investigates the potential use of Serum Amyloid A (SAA), a primary acute-phase protein, as a supportive diagnostic tool for the equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE), a disease caused by Lawsonia intracellularis infection in foals, but finds it inadequate for consistent detection of EPE.
Research Purpose and Methodology
- The goal of the research was to analyze the value of using the protein Serum Amyloid A (SAA) in supporting diagnosis from samples of equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE), a condition caused by Lawsonia intracellularis infection in foals.
- The study utilized archived serum samples from 101 foals that exhibited signs of enteric illness and hypoproteinemia, a condition marked by unusually low levels of protein in the blood.
- These foals were further divided into two categories based on immunodiagnostics for L. intracellularis: EPE-suspect cases (67 samples) and non-EPE-suspect cases (34 samples).
SAA Testing and Results
- The values for serum amyloid A (SAA) ranged from 0 to 2,761 μg/mL with a median of 466 μg/mL for the EPE-suspected cases.
- Non-EPE-suspected cases showed SAA values ranging from 0 to 2,555 μg/mL with a median of 192 μg/mL.
- However, no clear consistency was observed in the SAA values to convincingly support the presence of equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) in hypoproteinemic foals demonstrating symptoms of enteric disease.
Research Conclusions
- Though serum amyloid A (SAA) can be evaluated easily at a patient’s side and might help determine the severity of an underlying inflammatory condition, this study found its application inconsistent in supporting the diagnosis of equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) in foals with hypoproteinemia and signs of enteric condition.
- Despite the convenience of SAA testing, its unreliability for consistently supporting EPE detection in diseased foals limits its usefulness as a supplementary diagnostic tool for this specific equine condition.
Cite This Article
APA
Pusterla N, Barnum S, Hall JA, Marshall-Lund L, Gebhart C.
(2020).
Investigation of the Usefulness of Serum Amyloid A in Supporting the Diagnosis of Equine Proliferative Enteropathy.
J Equine Vet Sci, 92, 103151.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2020.103151 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA. Electronic address: npusterla@ucdavis.edu.
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA.
- Zoetis, Parsippany, NJ.
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN.
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Desulfovibrionaceae Infections / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horses
- Intestinal Diseases / diagnosis
- Intestinal Diseases / veterinary
- Lawsonia Bacteria
- Serum Amyloid A Protein
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Matté YA, Baldasso DZ, Rezende MA, Lui JFM, Seibel AC, Guizzo JA, Frandoloso R, Kreutz LC. Immunological insights into the occurrence of Lawsonia intracellularis in horses from southern Brazil using flow cytometry. Vet World 2025 Apr;18(4):755-762.
- Jakobsen N, Weber NR, Larsen I, Pedersen KS. Diagnostic utility of acute phase proteins and their ability to guide antibiotic usage in pigs, horses, and cattle: a mapping review. Acta Vet Scand 2024 Sep 5;66(1):45.
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