Concentrations of serum amyloid A and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein in horses with colic.
OBJECTIVE
To determine concentrations of 2 acute-phase proteins (serum amyloid A [SAA] and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein [LBP]) in serum samples obtained from horses with colic and identify relationships among these acute-phase proteins and clinical data.


METHODS
765 horses with naturally developing gastrointestinal tract diseases characterized by colic (ie, clinical signs indicative of abdominal pain) and 79 healthy control horses; all horses were examined at 2 university teaching hospitals.


METHODS
Serum concentrations of SAA and LBP were determined by immunoturbidometric and dot-blot assays, respectively.


RESULTS
SAA and LBP concentrations were determined for 718 and 765 horses with colic, respectively. Concentrations of SAA were significantly higher in nonsurvivors than in survivors, and horses with enteritis or colitis and conditions characterized by chronic inflammation (eg, abdominal abscesses, peritonitis, or rectal tears) had SAA concentrations significantly greater than those for horses with other conditions. Serum concentrations of LBP did not correlate with outcome, disease process, or portion of the gastrointestinal tract affected.


CONCLUSIONS
Circulating concentrations of SAA were significantly higher at admission in horses with colic attributable to conditions having a primary inflammatory cause (eg, enteritis, colitis, peritonitis, or abdominal abscesses) and were higher in horses that failed to survive the episode of colic, compared with concentrations in horses that survived. Serum concentrations of LBP did not correlate with survival. Analysis of these findings suggests that evaluation of SAA concentrations may be of use in identifying horses with colic attributable to diseases that have inflammation as a primary component of pathogenesis.
Vandenplas
Michel L
ML
Department of Large Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
Moore
James N
JN
Barton
Michelle H
MH
Roussel
Allen J
AJ
Cohen
Noah D
ND
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D003085:Colic / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D006736:Horses; D015151:Immunoblotting / Q000662:veterinary; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry / Q000662:veterinary; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D000099231:Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein; D000099231:Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein