FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Serum amyloid A and plasma fibrinogen concentrations in hors...
Equine veterinary journal2019; 52(1); 59-66; doi: 10.1111/evj.13117

Serum amyloid A and plasma fibrinogen concentrations in horses following emergency exploratory celiotomy.

Abstract: Acute-phase proteins may help assess the nature and severity of lesions and outcome in horses undergoing colic surgery. Objective: To compare serum amyloid A and plasma fibrinogen concentrations ([SAA] and [fibrinogen]) in the immediate post-operative period after exploratory celiotomy and determine their value in assessment of post-operative complications and survival to discharge. Methods: Observational study. Methods: This study included horses over 1 year of age undergoing exploratory celiotomy. Surgical procedures, lesions, post-operative care, complications and survival to discharge were recorded. [SAA] and [fibrinogen] were measured prior to surgery and 5 days post-operatively. Statistical analyses included Yate's Chi-square test, linear mixed effects model, Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression. Results: Of 300 horses, 52.0% developed post-operative complications and 83.7% survived to discharge, with significantly reduced chance of survival in horses that developed post-operative complications (P<0.01). Median [SAA] at days 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 and median [fibrinogen] at days 3, 4 and 5 were significantly different between horses that did and did not develop post-operative complications (P<0.05). Median [SAA] at days 1, 4 and 5 were significantly different between horses that did and did not survive to discharge (P<0.05). Logistic regression revealed post-operative complications to be associated with strangulating lesions (OR 2.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.41-3.91, P≤0.001) and higher [fibrinogen] at admission (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.00-1.45, P<0.05), and survival to discharge to be associated with lower [SAA] at 5 days post-operatively (OR 0.965, 95% CI 0.94-0.99, P = 0.002). Conclusions: A large variety of lesions and complications prevented detailed analysis of associations between inflammatory markers, lesions and complications. Conclusions: Horses that develop post-operative complications have acute-phase responses of greater magnitudes and durations compared with those that do not develop complications. This is also seen in horses that do not survive to discharge. Measuring [SAA] daily and [fibrinogen] at admission, may help predict the development of post-operative complications.
© 2019 EVJ Ltd.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2019-05-12 PubMed ID: 30912857DOI: 10.1111/evj.13117Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article
  • Observational Study
  • Veterinary

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.

This research examines the use of acute-phase proteins – serum amyloid A and plasma fibrinogen – in assessing potential post-operative complications and survival rates in horses after undergoing emergency exploratory celiotomy, a surgical procedure often performed to investigate the cause of severe abdominal pain.

Research Methodology

  • The study is observational in nature and involves horses over 1 year of age who underwent exploratory celiotomy.
  • Information related to the surgical procedures, identified lesions, subsequent care, related complications and whether the horses survived to discharge were duly recorded.
  • The concentration levels of serum amyloid A ([SAA]) and plasma fibrinogen were measured before the surgery and each day for five days post-operatively.
  • Different statistical tests, including Yate’s Chi-square test, linear mixed effects model, Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression were employed for data analysis and interpretation.

Key Findings

  • Out of 300 horses included in the study, over half (52%) developed post-operative complications and close to 84% of them survived to discharge.
  • There was a significant decrease in the probability of survival in horses that developed post-operative complications.
  • There was a significant difference in median levels of [SAA] at days 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 and median [fibrinogen] levels at days 3, 4, and 5 between horses that either did or did not develop complications post operation.
  • Median [SAA] levels at days 1, 4, and 5 varied significantly between those horses that either survived or did not survive to discharge.
  • Logistic regression showed a strong association of post-operative complications with strangulating lesions and elevated plasma fibrinogen concentration at admission.
  • Lower [SAA] concentration level at day 5 post-operatively was found to be linked with survival to the discharge stage.

Conclusions

  • The wide range of observed lesions and complications made a detailed analysis of potential correlations between inflammatory markers, lesions, and complications problematic.
  • The study concludes that horses that develop post-operative complications exhibit greater magnitudes and durations of acute-phase responses than those that do not develop complications. This is also observed in horses that do not survive to discharge.
  • Regular monitoring of [SAA] and [fibrinogen] levels, from admission to five days post-operatively can aid in predicting the likelihood of post-operative complications.

Cite This Article

APA
De Cozar M, Sherlock C, Knowles E, Mair T. (2019). Serum amyloid A and plasma fibrinogen concentrations in horses following emergency exploratory celiotomy. Equine Vet J, 52(1), 59-66. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13117

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 52
Issue: 1
Pages: 59-66

Researcher Affiliations

De Cozar, M
  • Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic, Maidstone, Kent, UK.
Sherlock, C
  • Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic, Maidstone, Kent, UK.
Knowles, E
  • Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic, Maidstone, Kent, UK.
Mair, T
  • Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic, Maidstone, Kent, UK.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Colic / surgery
  • Colic / veterinary
  • Female
  • Fibrinogen / metabolism
  • Horse Diseases / blood
  • Horse Diseases / metabolism
  • Horse Diseases / surgery
  • Horses
  • Male
  • Postoperative Complications / blood
  • Postoperative Complications / veterinary
  • Postoperative Period
  • Serum Amyloid A Protein / metabolism

References

This article includes 28 references
  1. Pihl TH, Scheepers E, Sanz M, Goddard A, Page P, Toft N, Andersen M, Jacobsen S. Influence of disease process and duration on acute-phase proteins in serum and peritoneal fluid of horses with colic. J. Vet. Intern. Med. 29, 651-658.
  2. Westerman TL, Foster CM, Tornquist SJ, Poulsen KP. Evaluation of serum amyloid A and haptoglobin concentrations as prognostic indicators for horses with colic. J. Am. Vet. Med. Ass. 248, 935-940.
  3. Pollock PJ, Prendergast M, Schumacher J, Bellenger CR. Effects of surgery on the acute-phase response in clinically normal and diseased horses. Vet. Rec. 156, 538-542.
  4. Jacobsen S, Andersen PH. The acute-phase protein serum amyloid A as a marker of inflammation in horses. Equine Vet. Educ. 19, 38-46.
  5. Belgrave RL, Dickey MM, Arheart KL, Cray C. Assessment of serum amyloid A testing of horses and its clinical application in a specialised equine practice. J. Am. Vet. Med. Ass. 243, 113-119.
  6. Pihl TH, Scheepers E, Sanz M, Goddard A, Page P, Toft N, Kjelgaard-Hansen M, Andersen P, Jacobsen S. Acute-phase proteins as diagnostic markers in horses with colic. J. Vet. Emerg. Crit. Care 26, 664-674.
  7. Daniel AJ, Leise BS, Burgess BA, Morley PS, Cloniger M, Hassel DM. Concentrations of serum amyloid A and plasma fibrinogen in horses undergoing emergency abdominal surgery. J. Vet. Emerg. Crit. Care 26, 344-351.
  8. Aitken M, Stefanovski D, Southwood LL. Serum amyloid A concentration in postoperative colic patients and its association with postoperative complications. Vet. Surg. 45, E34-E62.
  9. Deguchi M, Shinjo R, Yoshioka Y, Seki H. The usefulness of serum amyloid A as a post-operative inflammatory marker after posterior lumbar interbody fusion. J. Bone Joint Surg. 92, 555-559.
  10. Krog AH, Sahba M, Pettersen EM, Sandven I, Thorsby PM, Jorgensen JJ, Sundhagen JO, Kazmi SSS. Comparison of the acute-phase response after laparoscopic versus open aortobifemoral bypass surgery: a substudy of a randomised controlled trial. Vasc. Health Risk Manag. 12, 371-378.
  11. Haltmayer E, Schwendenwein I, Licka TF. Course of serum amyloid A plasma concentrations in horses undergoing surgery for injuries penetrating synovial structures, an observational clinical study. BMC Vet. Res. 13, 137.
  12. Jacobsen S, Jensen JC, Frei S, Jensen AL, Thoefner MB. Use of serum amyloid A and other acute-phase reactants to monitor the inflammatory response after castration in horses: a field study. Equine Vet. J. 37, 552-556.
  13. Jacobsen S, Nielsen JV, Kjelgaard-Hansen M, Toelboell T, Fjeldborg J, Halling-Thomsen M, Martinussen T, Thoefner MB. Acute-phase response to surgery of varying intensity in horses: a preliminary study. Vet. Surg. 38, 762-769.
  14. Henry Barton M, Peroni JF. The systemic inflammatory response. Equine Surgery 4th edn., Eds: J.A. Auer and J.A. Stick. Saunders Elsevier, St. Louis. pp 13-23.
  15. Hudson NPH, Pirie RS. Equine post-operative ileus: a review of current thinking on pathophysiology and management. Equine Vet. Educ. 27, 39-47.
  16. Lisowski ZM, Pirie RS, Blikslager AT, Lefebvre D, Hume DA, Hudson NPH. An update on equine post-operative ileus: definitions, pathophysiology and management. Equine Vet. J. 50, 292-303.
  17. Little D, Tomlinson J, Blikslager AT. Post-operative neutrophillic inflammation in equine small intestine after manipulation and ischaemia. Equine Vet. J. 37, 329-335.
  18. Hopster-Iversen CC, Hopster K, Staszyk C, Rohn K, Freeman DE, Rötting AK. Effects of experimental mechanical manipulations on local inflammation in the jejunum of horses. Am. J. Vet. Res. 75, 385-391.
  19. Hopster-Iversen C, Hopster K, Staszyk C, Rohn K, Freeman D, Rötting AK. Influence of mechanical manipulations on the local inflammatory reaction in the equine colon. Equine Vet. J. 43, 1-7.
  20. Grosche A, Morton AJ, Graham AS, Bauck AG, Lopes M, Freeman DE. Effects of a continuous rate infusion of lidocaine on ischaemic injury, haematological changes, and inflammation in equine jejunum. Proc. 10th Int. Colic Res. Symp. 10, 48.
  21. Gerard MP, Blikslager AT, Roberts MC, Tate LP Jr, Argenzio RA. The characteristics of intestinal injury peripheral to strangulating obstruction lesions in the equine small intestine. Equine Vet. J. 31, 331-335.
  22. Rathmanner M, Staszyk C, Rötting AK. Comparison of the local inflammatory response in horses undergoing small intestinal resection with and without development of post-operative ileus. Proc. 10th Int. Colic Res. Symp. 10, 184-185.
  23. Freeman D. Post-operative reflux - a surgeon's perspective. Equine Vet. Educ. 30, 671-680.
  24. Roussel AJ Jr, Cohen ND, Hooper RN, Rakestraw PC. Risk factors associated with development of post-operative ileus in horses. J. Am. Vet. Med. Ass. 219, 72-78.
  25. Cohen ND, Lester GD, Sanchez C, Merritt AM, Roussel AJ. Evaluation of risk factors associated with development of post-operative ileus in horses. J. Am. Vet. Med. Ass. 225, 1070-1078.
  26. Dukti S. Prognosticating equine colic. Vet. Clin. N. Am.: Equine Pract. 25, 217-231.
  27. Vandenplas ML, Moore JN, Barton MH, Roussel AJ, Cohen ND. Concentrations of serum amyloid A and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein in horses with colic. Am. J. Vet. Res. 66, 1509-1516.
  28. Monreal L, Angles A, Espada Y, Monasterio J, Monreal M. Hypercoagulation and hypofibrinolysis in horses with colic and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. Equine Vet. J. 32, 19-25.

Citations

This article has been cited 7 times.
  1. Ludwig EK, Hobbs KJ, McKinney-Aguirre CA, Gonzalez LM. Biomarkers of Intestinal Injury in Colic. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jan 7;13(2).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13020227pubmed: 36670767google scholar: lookup
  2. Hassanpour A, Moghaddam S. Evaluation of serum concentration of acute-phase proteins (haptoglobin and serum amyloid A) in the affected Arabian foals with rhodococcosis. Vet Med Sci 2023 Jan;9(1):144-149.
    doi: 10.1002/vms3.1005pubmed: 36423204google scholar: lookup
  3. Wright S. Highlights of recent clinically relevant papers. Equine Vet Educ 2019 Sep;31(9):450-451.
    doi: 10.1111/eve.13155pubmed: 32313399google scholar: lookup
  4. Long A, Nolen-Walston R. Equine Inflammatory Markers in the Twenty-First Century: A Focus on Serum Amyloid A. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2020 Apr;36(1):147-160.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2019.12.005pubmed: 32007299google scholar: lookup
  5. Nocera I, Cingottini D, Di Franco C, Sala G, Bindi F, Spadari A, Rinnovati R, Vitale V, Jose-Cunilleras E, Sgorbini M. In-Depth Analysis of the Prognostic Factors Associated with Short-Term Outcome in Equine Colic Patients: Multicentric Retrospective Study. Animals (Basel) 2026 Feb 5;16(3).
    doi: 10.3390/ani16030496pubmed: 41681477google scholar: lookup
  6. Souto PC, Santos MR, Orozco AMO, Bento LD, Ramirez-Lopez CJ, Girardi FM, Machado JCA, de Oliveira LL, da Fonseca LA. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Development for Equine Serum Amyloid A (SAA) Determination Using Recombinant Proteins. Methods Protoc 2025 Apr 7;8(2).
    doi: 10.3390/mps8020037pubmed: 40278511google scholar: lookup
  7. Ayodele BA, Pagel CN, Mackie EJ, Armour F, Yamada S, Zahra P, Courtman N, Whitton RC, Hitchens PL. Differences in bone turnover markers and injury risks between local and international horses: A Victorian Spring Racing Carnival study. Equine Vet J 2025 Mar;57(2):333-346.
    doi: 10.1111/evj.14098pubmed: 38634210google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,344 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.