Pro-inflammatory cytokines and structural biomarkers are effective to categorize osteoarthritis phenotype and progression in Standardbred racehorses over five years of racing career.
Abstract: Joint impact injuries initiate a progressive articular damage finally leading to post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Racehorses represent an ideal, naturally available, animal model of the disease. Standardbred racehorses developing traumatic osteoarthritis of the fetlock joint during the first year of their career were enrolled in our study. Age-matched controls were contemporarily included. Biomarker levels of equine osteoarthritis were measured in serum and synovial fluid (SF) at baseline, and repeated yearly over the next 4 years of training (from T1 to T4). The effect of time and disease on the biomarker concentrations were analysed, and their relationship with clinical and radiographic parameters were assessed. We hypothesized that the kinetics of pro-inflammatory cytokines and structural biomarkers of joint disease would demonstrate progression of degenerative joint status during post-traumatic osteoarthritis and clarify the effect of early joint trauma. Results: The concentrations of IL1-ß, IL-6, TNF-α in the SF of PTOA group peaked at T0, decreased at T1, and then progressively increased with time, reaching levels higher than those observed at baseline starting from T3. CTXII and COMP levels were similar in PTOA and control horses at baseline, and increased in serum and synovial fluid of PTOA horses starting from T2 (serum and synovial CTXII, and serum COMP) or T3 (synovial COMP). The percentual change of TNF-α in the SF of the affected joints independently contributed to explaining the radiological changes at T3 vs T2 and T4 vs T3. Conclusions: Temporal changes of selected biomarkers in STBRs with an acute episode of traumatic fetlock OA demonstrated that long-term increased concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, type II collagen fragments and COMP, in the SF and serum, are related to PTOA. Based on the observed decrease in inflammatory merkers at T1, we hypothesize that the progression of PTOA could be effectively modulated by proper treatment strategies. Annual variations of synovial concentration of TNF-α can reliably predict radiographic progression of PTOA.
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The research investigates the progression of osteoarthritis in racehorses over a five-year period. It suggests that tracking changes in certain biomarker levels in the horses’ serum and joint fluid can help categorize the progression of the disease and may inform effective treatment strategies.
Study Methodology
The study focussed on Standardbred racehorses that developed post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) of the fetlock joint in the first year of their career. Age-matched control horses that did not have PTOA were also included in the research.
Biomaker levels were measured in the horses’ serum and synovial fluid (SF) at the beginning (baseline) and then yearly for the next four years.
The effect of time and the disease on biomaker concentrations were then analyzed, and their relationship with clinical and radiographic parameters was assessed.
The objective was to understand the disease’s progress by closely examining the kinetics of pro-inflammatory cytokines and structural biomarkers of the joint disease.
Results of the Study
The study found that the concentrations of certain pro-inflammatory cytokines (such as IL1-ß, IL-6, TNF-α) in the SF of the PTOA group peaked at the beginning, decreased at the first year, and then progressively rose over time.
The levels of biomarkers CTXII and COMP were similar in PTOA horses and control horses at the outset but increased in the serum and synovial fluid starting from the second or third year in PTOA horses.
The study also found that an increase in TNF-α in the SF contributed to explaining the radiological changes in affected joints.
Conclusions Drawn from the Study
Long-term increased concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, type II collagen fragments, and COMP in the SF and serum of horses are linked to PTOA accordingly to the results.
The researchers conjectured, based on the observed decrease in inflammatory markers in the first year, that the progression of PTOA could be effectively modulated with appropriate treatment strategies.
The study concluded that the annual variations of the synovial concentration of TNF-α could reliably predict the radiographic progression of PTOA in the racehorses.
Cite This Article
APA
Bertuglia A, Pagliara E, Grego E, Ricci A, Brkljaca-Bottegaro N.
(2016).
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, 12(1), 246.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-016-0873-7
Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università di Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy. andrea.bertuglia@unito.it.
Pagliara, Eleonora
Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università di Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy.
Grego, Elena
Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università di Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy.
Ricci, Alessandro
Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università di Torino, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095, Grugliasco, Italy.
Brkljaca-Bottegaro, Nika
Clinic for surgery, orthopaedics and ophthalmology, Faculty of Veterinary medicine, University of Zagreb, Heinzelova 55, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
MeSH Terms
Animals
Biomarkers / metabolism
Cohort Studies
Cross-Sectional Studies
Cytokines / metabolism
Disease Progression
Horse Diseases / blood
Horse Diseases / metabolism
Horses
Inflammation Mediators / metabolism
Longitudinal Studies
Osteoarthritis / blood
Osteoarthritis / diagnostic imaging
Osteoarthritis / metabolism
Osteoarthritis / veterinary
Phenotype
Radiography / veterinary
Synovial Fluid / metabolism
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