Salivary alpha-amylase activity and concentration in horses with acute abdominal disease: Association with outcome.

This study investigates the potential for using salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) activity and concentration as a biomarker to predict the disease severity and survival outcome in horses with acute abdominal disease. The results showed that sAA activity, but not concentration, may be associated with increased risk of non-survival, suggesting its potential utility in prognosis.

Study Objective and Methods

• The primary objective of this study was to compare the activity and concentration of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) in healthy horses and those suffering from acute abdominal disease.
• The second aim was to determine if there was an association between the sAA activity and concentration, and the severity and outcome of the disease.
• To achieve these goals, they conducted a prospective cohort study with 25 healthy horses and 33 horses with acute abdominal disease.
• The researchers measured sAA activity using a colorimetric commercial kit and its concentration using a Time-resolved immunofluorometric assay.
• They compared the sAA measurements in the two groups using an ANOVA statistical test. Associations between survival till discharge, sAA activity and concentration, and other clinical parameters were examined using univariable logistic regression and Spearman correlation.

Study Results

• The study found that there was a significant difference between the activity and concentration of sAA in healthy and diseased horses.
• Notably, sAA activity was significantly higher in non-survivors compared to survivors, hinting at a possible correlation between the biomarker and disease outcome.
• They found moderate correlations between sAA activity and concentration with heart rate, and between sAA activity and concentration with plasma lactate concentration. However, the sAA activity showed a weak correlation with salivary cortisol and systemic inflammatory response syndrome score.

Conclusions and Future Implication

• The study revealed that sAA activity, but not its concentration, could potentially serve as a prognostic biomarker for survival in horses suffering from acute abdominal disease.
• However, it’s important to note that this study had some limitations, such as not recording pain scores and having a small sample size.
• The study does suggest the potential use of sAA activity as a prognostic tool, but further larger studies are recommended to validate the findings and determine its clinical utility.