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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Serum amyloid A as an aid in diagnosing sepsis in equine neo...
Equine veterinary journal2021; 54(5); 922-926; doi: 10.1111/evj.13540

Serum amyloid A as an aid in diagnosing sepsis in equine neonates.

Abstract: Sepsis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal foals, especially during the first 7 days of life. Diagnosing sepsis in neonatal foals can be challenging because initial clinical signs are often ambiguous and non-specific. Objective: To determine if the major acute phase protein serum amyloid A (SAA) as measured by a point-of-care SAA testing device can be used as an evidence-based biomarker of sepsis. Methods: Retrospective cohort. Methods: Clinical diagnosis of sepsis based on positive bacterial blood culture or a positive sepsis score was obtained and compared to SAA values in a population of neonatal foals on a breeding farm and referral hospital during four consecutive foaling seasons. A rapid, point-of-care blood test was used to measure SAA concentrations in neonatal foals <36 hours old that were clinically diagnosed as healthy, sick non-septic or septic. Results: The septic foals (n = 35) had a median SAA concentration (114 µg/mL) that was significantly greater (P < .05) than that for foals in the sick non-septic (n = 117, 1.5 µg/mL) and healthy (n = 245, 0 µg/mL) groups. At a diagnostic threshold of 100 µg/mL, the SAA test had a sensitivity of 52.9% (95% CI 36.5-68.9), specificity of 97.5% (95% CI 95.0-99.0), positive predictive value of 75.0% (95% CI 56.2-87.5), negative predictive value of 93.7% (95% CI 91.2-95.5), and a test accuracy of 92.1% (95% CI 88.2-95.0). Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that SAA is a useful aid in the diagnosis of sepsis in the neonatal foal.
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Publication Date: 2021-11-29 PubMed ID: 34773677DOI: 10.1111/evj.13540Google 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 research investigates the use of serum amyloid A (SAA), a major acute phase protein, as a potential diagnostic biomarker for sepsis in newborn foals. The study found that SAA concentrations in septic foals were significantly higher compared to non-septic and healthy foals, indicating the protein’s potential usefulness in sepsis diagnosis.

Methods

  • The study was a retrospective cohort type where a clinical diagnosis of sepsis was obtained based on positive bacterial blood culture or a positive sepsis score. This was then compared against SAA values in a population of neonatal foals on a breeding farm and referral hospital over four consecutive foaling seasons.
  • A rapid point-of-care blood test was used to quantify SAA concentrations in foals less than 36 hours old that were already classified as either healthy, sick non-septic, or septic.

Results

  • 35 septic foals had a median SAA concentration of 114 µg/mL, which was significantly higher compared to the concentrations noted in sick non-septic (n = 117, 1.5 µg/mL) and healthy foals (n = 245, 0 µg/mL).
  • At a diagnostic threshold of 100 µg/mL, the SAA test showed a sensitivity of 52.9%, specificity of 97.5%, positive predictive value of 75.0%, negative predictive value of 93.7%, and overall test accuracy of 92.1%.

Conclusions

  • The results showed that SAA can be a valuable tool in diagnosing sepsis in neonatal foals due to significant differences in its value in septic, non-septic sick, and healthy foals.
  • The application of a rapid, point-of-care blood test to measure SAA made it a convenient and efficient diagnostic method.
  • The study suggests that SAA could be used as a reliable biological identifier to help diagnose sepsis in newborn foals, although it also highlights the need for further research to validate this claim.

Cite This Article

APA
Barr B, Nieman NM. (2021). Serum amyloid A as an aid in diagnosing sepsis in equine neonates. Equine Vet J, 54(5), 922-926. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13540

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 54
Issue: 5
Pages: 922-926

Researcher Affiliations

Barr, Bonnie
  • Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
Nieman, Natanya M
  • WinStar Farm, Versailles, Kentucky, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Horse Diseases / diagnosis
  • Horses
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Sepsis / diagnosis
  • Sepsis / veterinary
  • Serum Amyloid A Protein

Grant Funding

  • Epona Biotech

References

This article includes 16 references
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Citations

This article has been cited 8 times.
  1. Scalco R, de Oliveira GN, da Rosa Curcio B, Wooten M, Magdesian KG, Hidai ST, Pandit P, Aleman M. Red blood cell distribution width to platelet ratio in neonatal foals with sepsis. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Jul-Aug;37(4):1552-1560.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.16793pubmed: 37306395google scholar: lookup
  2. Laurberg M, Saegerman C, Jacobsen S, Berg LC, Laursen SH, Hoeberg E, Sånge EA, van Galen G. Use of admission serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) concentrations as a marker of sepsis and outcome in neonatal foals. PLoS One 2023;18(5):e0285819.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285819pubmed: 37200285google scholar: lookup
  3. Palmisano M, Javsicas L, McNaughten J, Gamsjäger L, Renaud DL, Gomez DE. Effect of plasma transfusion on serum amyloid A concentration in healthy neonatal foals and foals with failure of transfer of passive immunity. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Mar;37(2):697-702.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.16647pubmed: 36825688google scholar: lookup
  4. Hoeberg E, Sånge A, Saegerman C, Bohlin A, Nostell K, Durie I, Husted L, Öhman A, Jacobsen S, Berg L, Laursen SH, van Galen G. Serum amyloid A as a marker to detect sepsis and predict outcome in hospitalized neonatal foals. J Vet Intern Med 2022 Nov;36(6):2245-2253.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.16550pubmed: 36239317google scholar: lookup
  5. Yamashita N, Hatazoe T, Misumi K, Hobo S. Hematological and blood biochemical parameters of Tokara horses in Kaimon Foothills Nature Park. J Vet Med Sci 2025 Dec 1;87(12):1405-1407.
    doi: 10.1292/jvms.25-0340pubmed: 41047344google scholar: lookup
  6. Xie M, Min Z, Jiang W, He Z, Xia X. Prognostic value of multivariate logistic regression analysis and amyloid A lactate monitoring in patients with severe pneumonia-associated sepsis. BMC Pulm Med 2025 Apr 23;25(1):191.
    doi: 10.1186/s12890-025-03648-3pubmed: 40269823google scholar: lookup
  7. Castelain DL, Dufourni A, Pas ML, Bokma J, de Bruijn E, Paulussen E, Lefère L, van Loon G, Pardon B. Retrospective cohort study on diseases and risk factors associated with death in hospitalized neonatal foals. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Jan-Feb;39(1):e17269.
    doi: 10.1111/jvim.17269pubmed: 39690128google scholar: lookup
  8. Li M, Qin YJ, Zhang XL, Zhang CH, Ci RJ, Chen W, Hu DZ, Dong SM. A biomarker panel of C-reactive protein, procalcitonin and serum amyloid A is a predictor of sepsis in severe trauma patients. Sci Rep 2024 Jan 5;14(1):628.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-51414-ypubmed: 38182736google scholar: lookup
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