Acute‐phase proteins as diagnostic markers in horses with colic

Abstract

Evaluation of SAA in serum improved the ability to differentiate horses with acute inflammatory colic requiring medical treatment from horses with colic requiring surgery, as it allowed an additional 4% of horses to be correctly classified into medical and surgical cases. Improved differentiation of these 2 groups of horses with colic may minimize the risk of unnecessary or delayed surgery.

Serum amyloid A concentration in postoperative colic horses and its association with postoperative complications

“…Some published studies have provided encouraging results regarding the application of SAA in equine inflammatory disease. Indeed, SAA levels were elevated in horses with inflammatory causes of colic compared with surgical lesions . However, results of these studies contradict another study by Westerman et al in which horses with a higher preoperative SAA (>5 μg/mL) were more likely to require surgery than those with a lower preoperative SAA .…”

Nonstrangulating intestinal infarctions associated with Strongylus vulgaris: Clinical presentation and treatment outcomes of 30 horses (2008–2016)

“…Horses with acute colitis may present with similar clinical signs and laboratory findings as horses with nonstrangulating intestinal infarction [29]. Horses with acute colitis may present with similar clinical signs and laboratory findings as horses with nonstrangulating intestinal infarction [29].…”

“…A common finding was signs of a severe acute systemic inflammatory reaction with slightly elevated rectal temperature, high serum concentrations of SAA and leucopenia, low blood concentration of iron and mild hyperfibrinogenaemia. Horses with acute colitis may present with similar clinical signs and laboratory findings as horses with nonstrangulating intestinal infarction [29]. Thus, colitis constitutes an important differential diagnosis for nonstrangulating intestinal infarction.…”

Equine Inflammatory Markers in the Twenty-First Century

“…44 Several studies have shown that peritoneal fluid SAA concentrations are increased in horses with colic compared with control horses, although peritoneal fluid concentrations are not higher than that in serum/plasma. 42,46,47 However, peritoneal fluid SAA concentrations increase more rapidly in horses with strangulating lesions than other Equine Inflammatory Markers in the 21st Century diseases, although it only discriminated between simple obstruction and strangulating or inflammatory colics of greater than 24 hours duration. 47 It is known that surgery itself, such as exploratory celiotomy for colic, causes an increase in APPs, including SAA.…”

“…In regards to colic, multiple different APPs have been evaluated for their ability to distinguish surgical from medical causes of colic, and their usefulness in monitoring for complications and predicting prognosis and response to treatment. Most 4,41,42 but not all 43,44 studies have found that SAA concentrations are significantly higher (median, 65 41 to 935 mg/L 42 ) in horses with colic-attributable inflammatory causes (eg, enteritis, colitis, peritonitis, or abdominal abscesses) versus surgical and noninflammatory colic (median, 4.8 41 to 228 mg/L 42 ). Furthermore, SAA concentrations were increased in horses with equine grass sickness (median, 50 mg/L) compared with those with surgical and noninflammatory colic (median, w0 mg/L).…”