title: Elevated serum amyloid A levels in cases of aborted equine fetuses due to fetal and placental infections.
abstract: Determination of fetal serum amyloid A (SAA) concentrations in aborted fetuses can provide valuable information regarding the infectious and/or inflammatory process of abortion in horses. To investigate the relationship between fetal SAA levels and the infectious/inflammatory disease process in feto-placental tissues, a SAA ELISA was used to test heart serum samples of 89 equine fetuses that were necropsied and diagnosed in the following groups: a multiorgan disease process diagnosed with an identified microorganism (14 cases, group 1); only placentitis diagnosed with an identified microorganism (nine cases, group 2); only placentitis diagnosed with no microorganism identified (six cases, group 3); and no infectious or inflammatory disease process diagnosed (60 cases, group 4). Serum amyloid A concentrations in equine fetuses were elevated from 10.5 to ≥40 mg/L in 10 of 14 cases in group 1; and from less than 2.5 mg/L to greater than 40 mg/L in seven of nine cases in group 2. In group 3, SAA concentrations were found to be less than 2.5 mg/L in five of six cases. In group 4, SAA concentrations were less than 2.5 mg/L in 55 cases, whereas in five cases SAA concentrations were elevated. Statistical significant differences were found between the concentrations of SAA in fetal horse blood and the presence of infectious and/or inflammatory disease process in the feto-placental tissues when a causative microorganism was identified. These results suggest that testing SAA concentrations in fetal heart blood may aid in further understanding the causes of abortions in horses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA. Electronic address: erdal.erol@uky.edu.
authors.forename: Erdal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Erol
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
authors.forename: Carney
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Horohov
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Locke
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Science, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carter
mesh_terms: D037881:Aborted Fetus / Q000382:microbiology*; D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000382:microbiology*; D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D006736:Horses; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000662:veterinary*; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein
keywords: Abortion; ELISA; Fetus; Horse; Serum amyloid A