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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J Suppl / Selenium deficiency associations with gender, breed, serum v...
Equine veterinary journal. Supplement2013; (43); 31-35; doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00643.x

Selenium deficiency associations with gender, breed, serum vitamin E and creatine kinase, clinical signs and diagnoses in horses of different age groups: a retrospective examination 1996-2011.

Abstract: Selenium and vitamin E deficiency have been associated with nutritional myopathy, more commonly known as white muscle disease (WMD) in horses. However, correlations between selenium concentrations and presenting clinical signs, age, breed, gender, serum vitamin E, creatine kinase (CK) and final diagnosis, have not previously been evaluated. Objective: To determine the number of hospitalised horses in 3 age groups that were selenium tested and the proportions of horses with categorised presenting clinical signs; the association/odds risk of final diagnosis with selenium deficiency and to examine the association between selenium status, vitamin E status and serum CK in adult horses. Methods: Two hundred and seventy-one hospitalised horses with a selenium concentration evaluated between 1996 and 2011 were examined retrospectively. Records were examined in order to ascertain selenium and vitamin E concentrations, age, breed, gender, CK values, presenting clinical signs and final diagnosis. Data were analysed with proportions, Fisher's exact t test, odds ratios and multivariate linear regressions. Results: Within the < 30 day old age group, 13/20 animals had low selenium concentrations. There were 18/42 horses in the 30 days to 2 years old age group with low selenium and 77/209 horses more than 2 years of age with low selenium. There was an association between low selenium and myopathy in the < 30-day-old animals (P = 0.017), all of which were classified as having WMD. No associations were identified between nutritional myopathy and selenium status in horses between 30 days and 2 years of age or in horses more than 2 years of age. Conclusions: This study indicates that WMD occurs most commonly in foals < 30 days old and is associated with low selenium concentrations (7 out of 8 affected foals had blood Selenium levels < 1.26 microm/l). Low serum selenium concentrations are common in hospitalised adult horses while nutritional myopathy is rare in these animals.
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Publication Date: 2013-03-02 PubMed ID: 23447875DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00643.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

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This study examined the link between selenium deficiency and factors such as age, gender, breed, vitamin E levels, creatine kinase (CK) values, clinical symptoms, and diagnoses among horses. The researchers found a strong correlation between selenium deficiency and muscular disease, especially in foals less than 30 days old, with the condition being less common in older horses.

Study Overview

  • The retrospective study used data from 271 horses that were tested for selenium levels during hospitalization between the years 1996 and 2011.
  • The horses’ medical records were examined for selenium and vitamin E concentrations, age, breed, gender, CK values, presenting clinical signs, and final diagnosis.
  • The analysis of data involved proportions, Fisher’s exact t tests, odds ratios, and multivariate linear regressions.

Results Summary

  • Among horses less than 30 days old, 13 out of 20 had low selenium concentrations. Similarly, 18 out of 42 horses between the ages of 30 days to 2 years had low selenium levels, and 77 out of 209 horses older than two years had low selenium concentrations.
  • In the group of horses less than 30 days old, there was a significant correlation between low selenium levels and myopathy (muscle disease), specifically white muscle disease (WMD). WMD was not linked to selenium levels in horses aged between 30 days to 2 years, and those older than 2 years.
  • The study found that WMD is most prevalent in foals less than 30 days old, with 7 out of 8 affected foals having blood selenium levels below 1.26 micromol/l.

Conclusions

  • The study concludes that there is a relationship between low selenium concentrations and muscle disease, specifically WMD, in very young foals. This conclusion emphasizes selenium’s role in foal nutrition and health, particularly regarding muscular development and function.
  • On the other hand, low selenium concentrations were found to be common in hospitalized adult horses. However, there was no correlation observed between selenium status and nutritional myopathy in these horses, indicating that while selenium deficiency is common, it may not necessarily impact muscle health in adult horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Streeter RM, Divers TJ, Mittel L, Korn AE, Wakshlag JJ. (2013). Selenium deficiency associations with gender, breed, serum vitamin E and creatine kinase, clinical signs and diagnoses in horses of different age groups: a retrospective examination 1996-2011. Equine Vet J Suppl(43), 31-35. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00643.x

Publication

Equine veterinary journal. Supplement
NlmUniqueID: 9614088
Country: United States
Language: English
Issue: 43
Pages: 31-35

Researcher Affiliations

Streeter, R M
  • Cornell University, DCS, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Divers, T J
    Mittel, L
      Korn, A E
        Wakshlag, J J

          MeSH Terms

          • Aging
          • Animals
          • Animals, Newborn
          • Creatine Kinase / blood
          • Female
          • Horse Diseases / blood
          • Horse Diseases / pathology
          • Horses
          • Male
          • Retrospective Studies
          • Selenium / blood
          • Selenium / deficiency
          • Vitamin E / blood

          Citations

          This article has been cited 4 times.
          1. Hosnedlova B, Kepinska M, Skalickova S, Fernandez C, Ruttkay-Nedecky B, Malevu TD, Sochor J, Baron M, Melcova M, Zidkova J, Kizek R. A Summary of New Findings on the Biological Effects of Selenium in Selected Animal Species-A Critical Review.. Int J Mol Sci 2017 Oct 21;18(10).
            doi: 10.3390/ijms18102209pubmed: 29065468google scholar: lookup
          2. Delesalle C, de Bruijn M, Wilmink S, Vandendriessche H, Mol G, Boshuizen B, Plancke L, Grinwis G. White muscle disease in foals: focus on selenium soil content. A case series.. BMC Vet Res 2017 May 3;13(1):121.
            doi: 10.1186/s12917-017-1040-5pubmed: 28468621google scholar: lookup
          3. Mochizuki M, Hayakawa N, Minowa F, Saito A, Ishioka K, Ueda F, Okubo K, Tazaki H. The concentration of iodine in horse serum and its relationship with thyroxin concentration by geological difference.. Environ Monit Assess 2016 Apr;188(4):226.
            doi: 10.1007/s10661-016-5221-7pubmed: 26972926google scholar: lookup
          4. Ning Y, Wang X, Wang S, Zhang F, Zhang L, Lei Y, Guo X. Is It the Appropriate Time to Stop Applying Selenium Enriched Salt in Kashin-Beck Disease Areas in China?. Nutrients 2015 Jul 28;7(8):6195-212.
            doi: 10.3390/n炅276pubmed: 26225999google scholar: lookup
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