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BMC veterinary research2025; doi: 10.1186/s12917-025-05179-9

Preliminary assessment of the leukocyte coping capacity as a point of care marker in horses with stress associated diseases.

Abstract: Stress represents a serious health and welfare concern; however, its objective assessment remains difficult. The equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) and orthopedic diseases that cause pain are among stress associated diseases in equine medicine. The leukocyte coping capacity (LCC) quantifies oxygen radical generation of neutrophil granulocytes which is altered under stress. Therefore, LCC could be a novel biomarker for stress in horses and we hypothesized that horses with stress associated diseases would have lower LCC values in comparison to horses without these diseases. Methods: In this observational clinical pilot study, 45 privately owned horses were classified according to the most relevant clinical diagnosis based on clinical, laboratory and gastroscopic findings into the following groups: (1) No EGUS; no clinical and/or laboratory and/or gastroscopic signs of EGUS, lameness or other diseases, (2) EGUS; any grade of EGUS, but no clinical and/or laboratory signs of lameness or other diseases, (3) Lameness; any grad of lameness, but no clinical and/or laboratory signs other diseases, any grade of EGUS possible, (4) Other diseases; identified based on abnormal findings in clinical examination and/or laboratory work, with no evidence of lameness, any grade of EGUS possible. The LCC was measured at first visit (T1) and 28 days later (T2) and the values compared among the groups with mean comparison tests and mixed effect models for repeated measures. Results: Primary results indicate that horses in group 3 had significantly (P = 0.012) lower values for LCC compared to horses in the group 1 at T1. Also group 3 horses had highest EGUS scores. At T2 LCC was still significantly lower in this group (P = 0.031), even though the severity of EGUS decreased in all horses with treatment (P = 0.004). Conclusions: Lame horses had higher EGUS scores and lower LCC levels, indicating a possible link between lameness, EGUS, and stress. Our findings support further investigation into the use of LCC as a quantitative immunological marker of stress with strong potential for use at point of care.
© 2025. The Author(s).
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Publication Date: 2025-12-07 PubMed ID: 41353153DOI: 10.1186/s12917-025-05179-9Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • 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.

Overview

  • This study evaluated the leukocyte coping capacity (LCC) as a measurable biomarker of stress in horses suffering from stress-related diseases such as equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) and lameness.
  • The researchers found that lame horses showed lower LCC values and higher EGUS severity, suggesting LCC could serve as a useful point-of-care marker for stress in equine medicine.

Background and Rationale

  • Stress in horses is a significant health and welfare concern but currently lacks reliable objective measures.
  • Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) and orthopedic diseases causing pain (lameness) are examples of stress-associated conditions in horses.
  • Leukocyte coping capacity (LCC) quantifies the production of oxygen radicals by neutrophil granulocytes, which is known to be affected during stress.
  • The hypothesis was that horses with stress-associated diseases such as EGUS or lameness would have lower LCC levels compared to healthy horses.

Study Design and Methods

  • An observational clinical pilot study including 45 privately owned horses was conducted.
  • Horses were grouped based on clinical, laboratory, and gastroscopic evaluations into four categories:
    • Group 1: No EGUS and no signs of lameness or other diseases.
    • Group 2: EGUS present, no lameness or other diseases.
    • Group 3: Lameness present, possibly any grade of EGUS but no other diseases.
    • Group 4: Other diseases present, no lameness, possibly any grade of EGUS.
  • LCC measurements were taken at the first clinical visit (T1) and again 28 days later (T2).
  • Statistical analyses included mean comparison tests and mixed effect models to compare LCC values across groups and time points.

Key Results

  • At the initial visit (T1), horses in the lameness group (Group 3) had significantly lower LCC values compared to healthy horses (Group 1), indicating higher stress levels.
  • Group 3 horses also showed the highest severity scores of EGUS, suggesting a link between lameness, gastric ulcers, and stress.
  • At 28 days (T2), even after treatment and decreased EGUS severity across all groups, lame horses still displayed significantly lower LCC values.
  • These patterns support that lameness and EGUS might be interrelated stressors affecting immune function as measured by LCC.

Conclusions and Implications

  • Lame horses tend to exhibit both higher gastric ulcer severity and reduced leukocyte coping capacity, reinforcing a possible association between pain, gastric ulcers, and systemic stress.
  • LCC shows promise as a quantitative immunological marker of stress that could be utilized at the point of care for horses with stress-associated diseases.
  • Further research is warranted to validate LCC as a diagnostic tool and to better understand the relationships between stress, immune function, and common equine diseases.
  • Adopting LCC measurements could improve objective stress assessment in veterinary practice, aiding in diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and welfare evaluation.

Cite This Article

APA
Jandová V, Huber N, AlMheiri FG, Bábor K, Trachsel DS. (2025). Preliminary assessment of the leukocyte coping capacity as a point of care marker in horses with stress associated diseases. BMC Vet Res. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-025-05179-9

Publication

BMC veterinary research
ISSN: 1746-6148
NlmUniqueID: 101249759
Country: England
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Jandová, Vendula
  • Equine Internal Medicine Practice, Svinčany 165, Czechia, 535 01, Czech Republic.
Huber, Nikolaus
  • Clinical Department for Farm Animals and Food System Science, Center for Food Science and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna, 1210, Austria.
  • Oxford MediStress Ltd, 267 Banbury Rd, Summertown, Oxford, OX2 7HT, UK.
AlMheiri, Fatma Graiban
  • Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 597, Dubai, UAE.
Bábor, Karolína
  • MVDr. Nebovidská 69, Střelice, 664 47, Czech Republic.
Trachsel, Dagmar S
  • Clinical Department for Small Animals and Horses, Clinical Centre for Equine Health and Research, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinärplatz 1, Vienna, 1210, Austria. dagmar.trachsel@vetmeduni.ac.at.

Conflict of Interest Statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: All procedures were clinically indicated, performed according to best veterinary practice and in accordance with local legislation. No specific veterinary treatments or interventions were carried out solely for the purpose of this study and therefore no further authorization was needed. In addition, prior to inclusion, the purpose of the study was explained and informed consent of the owner was obtained. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: NH is a consultant for Oxford Medistress Ltd., guiding the enhancement and refinement of the LCC method for application in companion animals and livestock. He holds a position on the scientific board at OMS, contributing his expertise to the method’s continuous advancement and optimal utilization in the field. The authors declare that they did not receive any financial support from OMS nor that the affiliation of NH with OMS has influenced the presented research (i.e. study design, reporting of results or data interpretation) in any way.

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