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Equine veterinary journal2019; 51(6); 738-742; doi: 10.1111/evj.13092

The prevalence of elevated gamma-glutamyltransferase and sorbitol dehydrogenase activity in racing Thoroughbreds and their associations with viral infection.

Abstract: In racehorses, serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) activity is positively correlated with cumulative days in training and, when ≥100 IU/L, has been associated with poor performance. The prevalence of increased GGT activity in North American Thoroughbreds and its aetiopathogenesis are unknown. Four emerging viruses, pegivirus E (PgV E; equine pegivirus), hepacivirus A (HcV A; equine hepacivirus), pegivirus D (PgV D; Theiler's disease virus), and equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H) have been identified in horses with clinical and subclinical hepatopathy. Available prevalence data indicate these viruses may commonly infect racehorses and contribute to increased liver enzyme activity in this population. Objective: To investigate the association between viral infection and increased liver enzyme activity in racing Thoroughbreds. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Prerace blood samples were collected from 802 Thoroughbreds and tested for GGT and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, and the presence of PgV E, HcV A, PgV D and EqPV-H nucleic acid. Results: Increased SDH and/or GGT were detected in 56.2% of the 802 serum samples. The infection prevalence and relative risk (RR) of having concurrently increased liver enzyme activity were: PgV E = 18.2% (RR = 0.820, 95% CI = 0.662-0.978, P = 0.03), HcV A = 2.5% (RR = 1.132, 95% CI = 0.719-1.466, P = 0.6), PgV D = 0.5% (RR = 0.875, 95% CI = 0.165-1.598, P>0.9), EqPV-H = 2.9% (RR = 0.916, 95% CI = 0.564-1.266, P = 0.7). Conclusions: Longitudinal samples were not tested. Conclusions: While viral infection was common among Thoroughbreds in this study, infection did not explain the high prevalence of increased liver enzyme activity. In fact, PgV E infection was associated with a reduced risk of having increased liver enzyme activity, indicating PgV E is unlikely to be a cause of hepatitis in horses. Importantly, like GGT, increased SDH activity was highly prevalent in this study, and provides additional evidence that hepatocellular injury was occurring in these horses.
© 2019 EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2019-04-10 PubMed ID: 30849186DOI: 10.1111/evj.13092Google 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.

This research study investigates the prevalence of specific liver enzyme activities in racing thoroughbreds and their potential correlation with certain viral infections. The study, which involved pre-race blood samples from 802 thoroughbreds, found that viral infections were common amongst the horses but did not account for the high prevalence of increased liver enzyme activity.

Objective and Methods

  • The primary objective of the study was to explore the relationship between viral infections and heightened liver enzyme activity in racing thoroughbreds.
  • Pre-race blood samples were taken from 802 thoroughbreds for the study.
  • The blood samples were then examined for gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, as well as the presence of four specific viruses, namely pegivirus E (PgV E), hepacivirus A (HcV A), pegivirus D (PgV D), and equine parvovirus-hepatitis (EqPV-H).

Results

  • An elevated level of SDH and/or GGT activity was identified in 56.2% of the blood samples.
  • The infection percentages and relative risk (RR) of simultaneous increased liver enzymatic activity was calculated for each of the four viruses.
  • PgV E showed an infection prevalence of 18.2% with an RR of 0.820.
  • HcV A, PgV D, and EqPV-H showed infection rates of 2.5%, 0.5%, and 2.9%, respectively, but their RR values indicated that these infections likely did not contribute to elevated liver enzyme activity.

Conclusions

  • The study did not test longitudinal samples.
  • The results indicated that while viral infections are common among the thoroughbreds in this study, they do not explain the high prevalence of increased liver enzyme activity.
  • Interestingly, the study indicated that PgV E infection was related to decreased risk of increased liver enzyme activity, suggesting that this virus is likely not the cause of hepatitis in horses.
  • The identification of increased SDH activity, like GGT, in a high number of cases provided further evidence of liver cell damage occurring in these horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Ramsay JD, Evanoff R, Mealey RH, Simpson EL. (2019). The prevalence of elevated gamma-glutamyltransferase and sorbitol dehydrogenase activity in racing Thoroughbreds and their associations with viral infection. Equine Vet J, 51(6), 738-742. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13092

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 51
Issue: 6
Pages: 738-742

Researcher Affiliations

Ramsay, J D
  • Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA.
  • Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA.
Evanoff, R
  • Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA.
Mealey, R H
  • Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA.
Simpson, E L
  • Equine Medical & Surgical Group, Arcadia, California, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Biomarkers
  • Communicable Diseases, Emerging / veterinary
  • Communicable Diseases, Emerging / virology
  • Flaviviridae / classification
  • Flaviviridae Infections / blood
  • Flaviviridae Infections / veterinary
  • Flaviviridae Infections / virology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic
  • Horse Diseases / virology
  • Horses
  • L-Iditol 2-Dehydrogenase / genetics
  • L-Iditol 2-Dehydrogenase / metabolism
  • Liver / enzymology
  • Parvoviridae Infections / veterinary
  • Parvoviridae Infections / virology
  • Parvovirinae
  • gamma-Glutamyltransferase / genetics
  • gamma-Glutamyltransferase / metabolism

Grant Funding

  • DG-2015-A1 / Southern California Equine Foundation
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Advancement in Equine Research Award

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This article includes 17 references
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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. Satué K, Miguel-Pastor L, Chicharro D, Gardón JC. Hepatic Enzyme Profile in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2022 Mar 29;12(7).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12070861pubmed: 35405850google scholar: lookup
  2. Yu X, Liao X, Chen H. Antibiotic-Loaded MMT/PLL-Based Coating on the Surface of Endosseous Implants to Suppress Bacterial Infections. Int J Nanomedicine 2021;16:2983-2994.
    doi: 10.2147/IJN.S299154pubmed: 33907402google scholar: lookup
  3. Tomlinson JE, Jager M, Struzyna A, Laverack M, Fortier LA, Dubovi E, Foil LD, Burbelo PD, Divers TJ, Van de Walle GR. Tropism, pathology, and transmission of equine parvovirus-hepatitis. Emerg Microbes Infect 2020;9(1):651-663.
    doi: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1741326pubmed: 32192415google scholar: lookup
  4. DeNotta SL, Divers TJ. Clinical Pathology in the Adult Sick Horse: The Gastrointestinal System and Liver. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2020 Apr;36(1):105-120.
    doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2019.11.004pubmed: 31982231google scholar: lookup
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