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Home / Equine Research Bank / J Vet Intern Med / Serum nerve growth factor in horses with osteoarthritis-asso...
Journal of veterinary internal medicine2023; 37(3); 1201-1208; doi: 10.1111/jvim.16718

Serum nerve growth factor in horses with osteoarthritis-associated lameness.

Abstract: Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophin that is increased in osteoarthritic joints of horses. In humans, NGF has been associated with pain, and both synovial and serum NGF concentrations are increased in osteoarthritic patients. Studies in humans also have shown that serum NGF concentration can increase with stress. Serum NGF concentration should be evaluated in horses with osteoarthritis-associated lameness. Objective: Quantify and compare serum NGF concentration in horses with osteoarthritis-associated lameness and sound horses. Additionally, the impact of short-term stress on serum NGF concentration was investigated. Methods: Lame horses with radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis (n = 20), lame horses without radiographic changes in the affected joint (n = 20) and sound horses (n = 20). In addition, horses with acute fractures (n = 9) were sampled. To determine the effect of stress, serum from horses subjected to a stressful event (transportation, n = 5; stress confirmed by increased serum cortisol concentration) was analyzed. Methods: Cross-sectional clinical study (lame, sound, and fracture cohorts) and experimental longitudinal study (stress cohort). Serum NGF concentration was determined using a quantitative sandwich ELISA. Results: Serum NGF concentration was increased in lame horses with radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis (P < .0001; median, 238 pg/mL; interquartile range [IQR], 63-945 pg/mL) and in lame horses without radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis in the painful joint (P < .05; median, 31 pg/mL; IQR, 31-95 pg/mL) compared with sound horses (median, 31 pg/mL; IQR, 31-46 pg/mL). Serum NGF concentration did not increase with short-term stress and was low in horses with fracture-associated pain. Conclusions: Serum NGF concentration was high in the cohort with advanced osteoarthritis and should be investigated as a marker for osteoarthritis-associated pain.
© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
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Publication Date: 2023-04-21 PubMed ID: 37083137PubMed Central: PMC10229367DOI: 10.1111/jvim.16718Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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This research investigates the presence and levels of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), a protein associated with pain, in the blood of horses with osteoarthritic lameness. The study found elevated levels of NGF in lame horses, particularly those with advanced osteoarthritis, suggesting NGF could serve as a marker for this condition, while short-term stress did not impact NGF concentration.

Objective

The primary goal of this research was to measure and compare the concentration of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) in the blood serum of horses suffering from osteoarthritis-associated lameness with healthy, sound horses. The secondary objective was to study the effect of short-term stress on NGF levels.

  • NGF is a protein that’s found at higher levels in osteoarthritic joint tissue.
  • In human studies, NGF has been linked with increasing pain levels and is found more in patients with osteoarthritis.
  • Previous work on humans indicated that NGF concentration in the bloodstream can increase due to stress.

Methods

Different groups of horses were examined as part of a cross-sectional clinical study and an experimental longitudinal analysis.

  • The subjects consisted of lame horses showing radiographic signs of osteoarthritis, lame horses with no radiographic changes, healthy horses and horses with acute fractures.
  • A separate group of horses was subjected to a stressful event (transportation) to see how this affected their NGF levels.
  • The concentration of NGF in the horses’ blood serum was determined using a quantitative sandwich ELISA, a test that measures the amount of a specific protein in a sample.

Results

The study showed increased NGF concentration in the blood of lame horses, especially those displaying radiographic signs of osteoarthritis.

  • Higher-than-normal NGF was found in horses diagnosed with osteoarthritis and in lame horses without joint changes evident from radiographic data.
  • Short-term stress did not result in increased NGF levels, contrary to results from human studies.
  • Horses suffering fractures did not show elevated NGF levels either.

Conclusions

The results suggest that blood serum NGF concentration is significantly high in horses with advanced osteoarthritis.

  • The high concentration of NGF in the blood of osteoarthritic horses indicates it could potentially serve as a marker for osteoarthritis-related pain in horses.
  • The distinct lack of increased NGF in lame horses without radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis suggests the protein’s increase is directly related to the disease rather than just lameness.
  • The fact that stress did not elevate NGF levels points to the protein as a specific marker for osteoarthritis, regardless of outside factors.

Cite This Article

APA
Kendall A, Lützelschwab C, Lundblad J, Skiöldebrand E. (2023). Serum nerve growth factor in horses with osteoarthritis-associated lameness. J Vet Intern Med, 37(3), 1201-1208. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16718

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 37
Issue: 3
Pages: 1201-1208

Researcher Affiliations

Kendall, Anna
  • Division of Pathology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
Lützelschwab, Claudia
  • Division of Pathology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
Lundblad, Johan
  • Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
Skiöldebrand, Eva
  • Division of Pathology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.

MeSH Terms

  • Humans
  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Lameness, Animal
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Nerve Growth Factor
  • Horse Diseases / metabolism
  • Osteoarthritis / complications
  • Osteoarthritis / veterinary
  • Pain / veterinary

Grant Funding

  • 2019-02069 / Svenska Forskningsru00e5det Formas

Conflict of Interest Statement

Authors declare no conflict of interest.

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