title: Relationship between biochemical markers and radiographic scores in the evaluation of the osteoarticular status of Warmblood stallions.
abstract: Establishing the osteoarticular status of the horse is often performed by means of radiological screening of the animals. Widespread blood sampling could reveal to be an interesting alternative to this procedure which is time consuming and sometimes technically difficult. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the radiological status of the horses and the levels of biochemical markers of cartilage degradation and synovial inflammation. A specific radiological scoring and classification system was therefore developed and applied on 63 stallions presented for studbook admission. Additionally, groups of horses were established according to the occurrence of osteochondrosis, degenerative joint disease and distal interphalangeal joint effusion. Insulin growth factor-I, myeloperoxidases, Coll2-1 and Coll2-1NO(2) were used as blood markers. The combination of the blood parameters did not seem to correlate with the used scoring system. Coll2-1NO(2) levels however tended to increase with poorer radiological class and this could therefore potentially be a useful predictor of the osteoarticular status in the horse. Coll2-1 levels were significantly higher in the degenerative joint disease group. A high percentage of horses with distal interphalangeal joint effusion was present in this study and was associated with decreased IGF-I and increased Coll2-1 levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Equine Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Liege, B-4000 Liege, Belgium. denis.verwilghen@ulg.ac.be
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Verwilghen
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Busoni
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gangl
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Franck
authors.forename: Jean-Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lejeune
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vanderheyden
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Detilleux
authors.forename: Sigrid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grulke
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deberg
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Henrotin
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Serteyn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology*; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary; D007596:Joints / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D055034:Osteochondrosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary; D011859:Radiography / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers