Detection of fibrin deposits in tissues from horses with severe gastrointestinal disorders.
BACKGROUND
In humans and experimental animals, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) causes fibrin deposition in several organs, which eventually leads to ischemia and multiorgan failure.


OBJECTIVE
Horses who died or were euthanized for severe gastrointestinal disorders could have fibrin deposits in different tissues.


METHODS
Tissue-organ samples collected during postmortem examinations on 66 colic horses with poor prognoses (eg, severe intestinal ischemia, enteritis, peritonitis), from 11 colic horses with good prognoses (eg, large-colon obstruction or displacement), and from 16 slaughter horses.


METHODS
Tissue samples (kidney, lung, liver) were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and phosphotungstic acid hematoxylin for a blinded histologic examination. A fibrin score (grades 0 to 4) was established for each tissue sample and for each horse.


RESULTS
Fibrin deposits were found in tissue specimens of 11 of 27 of horses (40.7%) in the ischemic group, 8 of 21 in the enteritis group (38.1%), and 7 of 18 in the peritonitis group (39.0%), whereas none of the horses in the obstructive group (n = 11) and only 1 horse in the slaughter group (n = 16) had fibrin deposits in their tissues. In addition, the mean fibrin score values for the ischemic, enteritis, and peritonitis groups (1.3 +/- 1.7, 1.1 +/- 1.6, and 0.9 +/- 1.3, respectively) were statistically higher than those for the obstructive and slaughter groups (0.0 +/- 0.0 and 0.1 +/- 0.5, respectively). The largest fibrin deposits were found in the lungs.


CONCLUSIONS
Horses with severe gastrointestinal disorders have fibrin deposits that are consistent with capillary microthrombosis, multiorgan failure, and DIC.
Cotovio
Mário
M
Departamento de Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal.
Monreal
Luis
L
Navarro
Marga
M
Segura
Dídac
D
Prada
Justina
J
Alves
Anabela
A
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D004211:Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D005337:Fibrin / Q000378:metabolism*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006736:Horses; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology
D015415:Biomarkers; D005337:Fibrin