FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Immunol Immunopathol / Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 concentrations in norma...
Veterinary immunology and immunopathology2009; 132(2-4); 122-128; doi: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2009.05.006

Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 concentrations in normal and septic neonatal foals.

Abstract: Previously it was reported that compared to surviving septic foals, non-surviving foals had a 35-fold increase in interleukin-10 (IL-10) and 15-fold increase in IL-6 gene expression in their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). As gene expression profiles can be time-consuming, we sought to determine if serum IL-6 and IL-10 in foals would aid in the diagnosis and prognosis of septicemia. A prospective study of septic neonatal foals admitted to the Cornell University Equine Hospital during 2007 and 2008 was performed. Septicemia was confirmed in 15 foals using blood culture results and sepsis scores. Blood samples for measurement of serum IL-6 and IL-10 concentrations were collected at the time of admission (T0) and again 24 (T24) and 48 (T48) hours later. Blood samples from age-matched control foals (n=15) born at the Cornell Equine Park were obtained from foals 12-72h after birth (T0) and again 24 (T24) and 48 (T48) hours later. IL-6 and IL-10 concentrations were determined in the serum from dams of septic foals and serum and colostrum from dams of control foals. Serum IL-6 was also measured in healthy foals prior to ingestion of colostrum. Interleukin-6 was detected using an ELISA and IL-10 was detected using a bead-based fluorescent immunoassay. Group differences were detected using a Wilcoxon rank sum test with a Bonferroni correction applied to the p value. There were no significant differences in serum IL-10 concentration between the two groups of foals. Relative to control foals, septic foals had significantly lower serum IL-6 concentrations at all 3 time points. Relative to septic foals, control foals had significantly higher serum IL-6:IL-10 ratios. Serum IL-6 was undetectable in foals prior to ingestion of colostrum. However, colostral IL-6 concentration measured in the control mares was high (> or =215ng/mL) in all samples suggesting passive transfer of maternal IL-6 to the equine neonate. Colostral IL-10 was undetectable in 11/12 samples. Failure of passive transfer may directly influence the serum IL-6 concentration in septic foals. Neither serum IL-6 nor IL-10 alone, were useful diagnostic indices of sepsis in equine neonates. Although the number of animals involved in this study was too small for the identification of a concrete value, the serum IL-6:IL-10 ratio is likely to provide a valuable prognosticator for neonatal septicemia.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2009-05-18 PubMed ID: 19501415DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2009.05.006Google 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
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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 study aimed to investigate the potential use of serum concentrations of the proteins interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in diagnosing and predicting the outcomes of septicemia (blood infection) in newborn horses, or foals. However, neither of these measures, when used alone, turned out to be effective indicators of neonatal equine septicemia.

Investigation Context

  • This research follows up on previous reports stating that the blood cells of foals that did not survive sepsis displayed dramatically higher levels of IL-6 and IL-10 gene expression.
  • As blood-cell gene expression profiling can be a slow process, the researchers wanted to see whether checking for IL-6 and IL-10 in serum – the component of blood that remains after clotting – would be of help in identifying and forecasting sepsis in newborn foals.

Research Methods and Findings

  • The study was prospective and conducted using both septic and healthy, control foals admitted to the veterinary facility at Cornell University over a two-year period.
  • Serum IL-6 and IL-10 were tested at admission time and again after 24 and 48 hours using recognized methods such as ELISA and a bead-based fluorescent immunoassay.
  • The researchers also tested the colostrum (the mother’s first milk) and serum from the mothers of both sets of foals, as well as the serum of healthy foals before they consumed colostrum.
  • The results revealed that septic foals had notably lower serum IL-6 concentrations than healthy ones at all three time points. However, there wasn’t a significant difference in IL-10 concentrations between the two groups.
  • Healthy foals had significantly higher serum IL-6:IL-10 ratios relative to the septic foals.

Additional Observations

  • Researchers observed that IL-6 concentration in colostrum of control mares was quite high, suggesting passive transfer of maternal IL-6 to the neonate. The colostrum offered to foals by their mothers did not feature detectable IL-10 levels.
  • The absence of colostrum ingestion may directly cause the low concentration of serum IL-6 in septic foals.
  • Due to the small sample size, a concrete cut-off could not be determined.

Conclusions

  • Despite the outcomes of previous reports, this study found that monitoring serum IL-6 or IL-10 levels alone was not particularly useful in diagnosing sepsis in newborn foals.
  • The ratio of serum IL-6 to IL-10 concentrations, on the other hand, may be a valuable prognosticator for neonatal septicemia.

Cite This Article

APA
Burton AB, Wagner B, Erb HN, Ainsworth DM. (2009). Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 concentrations in normal and septic neonatal foals. Vet Immunol Immunopathol, 132(2-4), 122-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetimm.2009.05.006

Publication

Veterinary immunology and immunopathology
ISSN: 1873-2534
NlmUniqueID: 8002006
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 132
Issue: 2-4
Pages: 122-128

Researcher Affiliations

Burton, A B
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
Wagner, B
    Erb, H N
      Ainsworth, D M

        MeSH Terms

        • Animals
        • Animals, Newborn
        • Case-Control Studies
        • Colostrum / immunology
        • Female
        • Horse Diseases / blood
        • Horse Diseases / immunology
        • Horses / blood
        • Horses / immunology
        • Immunity, Maternally-Acquired
        • Interleukin-10 / blood
        • Interleukin-10 / metabolism
        • Interleukin-6 / blood
        • Interleukin-6 / metabolism
        • Male
        • Pregnancy
        • Prognosis
        • Prospective Studies
        • Sepsis / blood
        • Sepsis / immunology
        • Sepsis / veterinary

        Citations

        This article has been cited 19 times.
        1. Hedia M, Leroy JLMR, Govaere J, Van Soom A, Smits K. Lipid metabolites, interleukin-6 and oxidative stress markers in follicular fluid and their association with serum concentrations in mares. Vet Res Commun 2023 Apr 14;.
          doi: 10.1007/s11259-023-10122-0pubmed: 37055645google scholar: lookup
        2. Anna M, Łukasz M, Adam O, Chełmońska-Soyta A. Effectiveness of immunization with multi-component bacterial immunomodulator in foals at 35th day of life. Sci Rep 2022 Sep 22;12(1):15795.
          doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-17532-1pubmed: 36138050google scholar: lookup
        3. Taylor S. A review of equine sepsis. Equine Vet Educ 2015 Feb;27(2):99-109.
          doi: 10.1111/eve.12290pubmed: 32313390google scholar: lookup
        4. Sheats MK. A Comparative Review of Equine SIRS, Sepsis, and Neutrophils. Front Vet Sci 2019;6:69.
          doi: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00069pubmed: 30931316google scholar: lookup
        5. Xu YQ, Xing YY, Wang ZQ, Yan SM, Shi BL. Pre-protective effects of dietary chitosan supplementation against oxidative stress induced by diquat in weaned piglets. Cell Stress Chaperones 2018 Jul;23(4):703-710.
          doi: 10.1007/s12192-018-0882-5pubmed: 29455342google scholar: lookup
        6. Yuan D, Hussain T, Tan B, Liu Y, Ji P, Yin Y. The Evaluation of Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Eucommia ulmoides Flavones Using Diquat-Challenged Piglet Models. Oxid Med Cell Longev 2017;2017:8140962.
          doi: 10.1155/2017/8140962pubmed: 28894511google scholar: lookup
        7. Clark KC, Kol A, Shahbenderian S, Granick JL, Walker NJ, Borjesson DL. Canine and Equine Mesenchymal Stem Cells Grown in Serum Free Media Have Altered Immunophenotype. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2016 Apr;12(2):245-56.
          doi: 10.1007/s12015-015-9638-0pubmed: 26638159google scholar: lookup
        8. Vinther AM, Skovgaard K, Heegaard PM, Andersen PH. Dynamic expression of leukocyte innate immune genes in whole blood from horses with lipopolysaccharide-induced acute systemic inflammation. BMC Vet Res 2015 Jun 16;11:134.
          doi: 10.1186/s12917-015-0450-5pubmed: 26076814google scholar: lookup
        9. Kol A, Wood JA, Carrade Holt DD, Gillette JA, Bohannon-Worsley LK, Puchalski SM, Walker NJ, Clark KC, Watson JL, Borjesson DL. Multiple intravenous injections of allogeneic equine mesenchymal stem cells do not induce a systemic inflammatory response but do alter lymphocyte subsets in healthy horses. Stem Cell Res Ther 2015 Apr 15;6(1):73.
          doi: 10.1186/s13287-015-0050-0pubmed: 25888916google scholar: lookup
        10. Ortved K, Wagner B, Calcedo R, Wilson J, Schaefer D, Nixon A. Humoral and cell-mediated immune response, and growth factor synthesis after direct intraarticular injection of rAAV2-IGF-I and rAAV5-IGF-I in the equine middle carpal joint. Hum Gene Ther 2015 Mar;26(3):161-71.
          doi: 10.1089/hum.2014.050pubmed: 25705927google scholar: lookup
        11. Gurung RB, Purdie AC, Whittington RJ, Begg DJ. Cellular and humoral immune responses in sheep vaccinated with candidate antigens MAP2698c and MAP3567 from Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2014;4:93.
          doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2014.00093pubmed: 25077074google scholar: lookup
        12. Gurung RB, Begg DJ, Purdie AC, de Silva K, Bannantine JP, Whittington RJ. Lymphoproliferative and gamma interferon responses to stress-regulated Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis recombinant proteins. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2014 Jun;21(6):831-7.
          doi: 10.1128/CVI.00775-13pubmed: 24695774google scholar: lookup
        13. Gurung RB, Begg DJ, Purdie AC, Bannantine JP, Whittington RJ. Antigenicity of recombinant maltose binding protein-Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis fusion proteins with and without factor Xa cleaving. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2013 Dec;20(12):1817-26.
          doi: 10.1128/CVI.00596-13pubmed: 24132604google scholar: lookup
        14. Carrade DD, Lame MW, Kent MS, Clark KC, Walker NJ, Borjesson DL. Comparative Analysis of the Immunomodulatory Properties of Equine Adult-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells(). Cell Med 2012;4(1):1-11.
          doi: 10.3727/215517912X647217pubmed: 23152950google scholar: lookup
        15. Lewis DH, Chan DL, Pinheiro D, Armitage-Chan E, Garden OA. The immunopathology of sepsis: pathogen recognition, systemic inflammation, the compensatory anti-inflammatory response, and regulatory T cells. J Vet Intern Med 2012 May-Jun;26(3):457-82.
          doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2012.00905.xpubmed: 22428780google scholar: lookup
        16. Berghaus LJ, Venner M, Helbig H, Hildebrandt D, Hart K. The potential value of cytokine, cortisol and vitamin D profiles in foals from birth to weaning for respiratory disease prediction on a farm endemic for Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. Equine Vet J 2026 Mar;58(2):359-371.
          doi: 10.1111/evj.70093pubmed: 40923138google scholar: lookup
        17. Hildebrandt D, Venner M, Hart KA, Berghaus L. Plasma C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 concentrations in foals during health and respiratory disease. Equine Vet J 2026 Mar;58(2):372-379.
          doi: 10.1111/evj.70000pubmed: 40684375google scholar: lookup
        18. Răcean MA, Săsăran MO, Mărginean CO, Cucerea M. Umbilical cord blood level of interleukins used as a predictor of early-onset neonatal sepsis: a comprehensive review. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2025;15:1518088.
          doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1518088pubmed: 40171168google scholar: lookup
        19. Terpeluk ER, Schäfer J, Finkler-Schade C, Rauch E, Rohn K, Schuberth HJ. Feeding a Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fermentation Product to Mares in Late Gestation Alters the Biological Activity of Colostrum. Animals (Basel) 2024 Aug 24;14(17).
          doi: 10.3390/ani14172459pubmed: 39272244google scholar: lookup
        Subscribe to our newsletter
        Join 99,001 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.