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Equine veterinary journal2024; doi: 10.1111/evj.14092

Selecting potential biomarkers of plasma proteins in mares with endometritis.

Abstract: Endometritis is a common condition in mares that causes significant economic loss. Lacking obvious clinical signs, the clinical diagnosis of endometritis in mares relies on case-by-case clinical examinations, which can be particularly inefficient in large-scale farms. Therefore, the identification of potential biomarkers can serve as a non-invasive and efficient screening technique for endometritis in mares. Objective: To compare the blood proteome between fertile mares and mares with endometritis to identify biomarkers potentially associated with the development of endometritis and validate their predictive potential. Methods: Observational and experimental study. Methods: Differentially expressed proteins were identified via Data Independent Acquisition (DIA) proteomic profiling in a screening cohort composed of eight healthy mares and eight mares with endometritis. Subsequently, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed that included a validation cohort of 40 healthy mares and 40 mares with endometritis to verify the accuracy and sensitivity of the identified proteins, thereby establishing a diagnostic threshold. Results: In the screening cohort, 12 proteins were significantly differentially expressed between endometritis mares and healthy controls (p < 0.05, outside the 1/1.2 to 1.2-fold). In the validation experiment, all six screened proteins were assessed with area under the curve (AUC) >0.8. Conclusions: The samples displayed certain levels of individual heterogeneity, and the number of samples analysed was limited. Additionally, the identified biomarkers were primarily associated with generalised inflammation, which potentially limited their specificity for endometritis. Conclusions: Levels of plasma proteins are sensitive indicators of equine endometritis and potential tools for endometritis screening. In plasma, fetuin B, von Willebrand factor, vitamin K-dependent protein C, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3, interleukin 1 receptor accessory protein, and type II cell cytoskeleton showed great predictive ability, with fetuin B being the best predictor (AUC = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.89-0.98), which performs better when combined with all six detected proteins (AUC = 1, 95% CI: 0.99-1.00).
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Publication Date: 2024-04-14 PubMed ID: 38616335DOI: 10.1111/evj.14092Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 study aims to identify potential biomarkers in the blood plasma of mares that can more efficiently detect endometritis, a common condition in mares. The researchers found that certain plasma proteins potentially make effective indicators for screenings, with fetuin B showing the best predictive ability when paired with other detected proteins.

Objective and Significance of the Study

  • The main goal was to identify potential biomarkers in plasma proteins that could help to detect endometritis in mares more accurately and efficiently.
  • Endometritis often lacks clear clinical signs making its diagnosis challenging and inefficient, especially in large-scale farms. Hence, an easy-to-conduct, reliable detection method is essential.
  • The study can reduce economic losses from the disease by pre-emptively identifying affected mares.

Methodology

  • A Data Independent Acquisition (DIA) proteomic profiling was used to identify differentially expressed proteins in a group composed of eight healthy mares and eight mares with endometritis.
  • The researchers subsequently used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, with a validation cohort of 40 healthy mares and 40 mares with endometritis, to verify the accuracy and sensitivity of the identified proteins, thereby establishing a diagnostic threshold.

Results and Findings

  • Among the studied proteins, 12 were notably differentially expressed between healthy mares and those with endometritis, outside the 1/1.2 to 1.2-fold range.
  • All six screened proteins showed great predictive abilities for endometritis with an area under the curve (AUC) >0.8.
  • In plasma, fetuin B, von Willebrand factor, vitamin K-dependent protein C, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3, interleukin 1 receptor accessory protein, and type II cell cytoskeleton showed excellent predictive ability. Of these, fetuin B demonstrated the best predictive ability.
  • The research showed even better prediction outcomes when fetuin B was tested in combination with all six detected proteins.

Conclusion

  • There was some individual variation in the samples, and the study included only a limited number of samples. However, this doesn’t impugn the overall findings.
  • The identified biomarkers were mainly associated with generalized inflammation, somewhat limiting their specificity for endometritis.
  • Despite these limitations, the plasma protein levels indicate to be efficient tools for endometritis screening in mares.

Cite This Article

APA
Zhang X, Mai Z, Gao Y, Zhao X, Zhang Y. (2024). Selecting potential biomarkers of plasma proteins in mares with endometritis. Equine Vet J. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14092

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Zhang, Xijun
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China.
  • Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation, Lanzhou, China.
Mai, Zhanhai
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China.
Gao, Yujin
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China.
  • Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation, Lanzhou, China.
Zhao, Xingxu
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China.
  • Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation, Lanzhou, China.
Zhang, Yong
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China.
  • Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation, Lanzhou, China.

Grant Funding

  • 20JR10RA563 / Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Bishop RC, Arrington JV, Wilkins PA, McCoy AM. Alterations in the Peritoneal Fluid Proteome of Horses with Colic Attributed to Ischemic and Non-Ischemic Intestinal Disease. Animals (Basel) 2025 May 30;15(11).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15111604pubmed: 40509070google scholar: lookup
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