Evaluation of endotoxin activity in blood measured via neutrophil chemiluminescence in healthy horses and horses with colic.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the performance of a chemiluminescent endotoxin activity assay in horses with colic and healthy horses.


METHODS
20 horses with colic and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS group), 8 horses with colic with no SIRS (NSIRS group), and 20 healthy horses.


METHODS
Venous blood was collected into EDTA blood collection tubes after completion of a physical examination, and a chemiluminescent endotoxin activity assay was performed within 60 minutes of collection. Medical or surgical interventions and outcome were recorded for each horse.


RESULTS
Mean + or - SE endotoxin activity was 0.16 + or - 0.05 for healthy horses, 0.18 + or - 0.07 for the NSIRS group, and 0.53 + or - 0.05 for the SIRS group and was significantly different among the groups. Mean endotoxin activity was significantly higher in the SIRS group than in the NSIRS group and the healthy group. No significant difference between the healthy and NSIRS groups was present. The higher the measured endotoxin activity, the more likely it was for horses to be euthanized.


CONCLUSIONS
The chemiluminescent endotoxin assay was easy to use, required a short time to perform, could be completed at the patient's side, and with some modifications, may be a useful component in the clinical assessment and prognostication of horses with colic.
Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada. jkoenig@uoguelph.ca
Judith B
JB
Koenig
James
J
Hart
David M
DM
Harris
Antonio M
AM
Cruz
Dorothee
D
Bienzle
D000818:Animals; D003085:Colic / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary*; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000097:blood*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D006736:Horses; D008163:Luminescent Measurements / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism*; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary
D004731:Endotoxins