title: Alkaline phosphatase activity in airway fluid obtained by tracheal wash from adult horses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Collection of fluid from the lower respiratory tract (LRT) plays an important role in both the pathophysiological investigation and diagnosis of respiratory tract disease. Enzymes such as ALP are, among others, indicators of cell damage or death, type II pneumocyte proliferation, and neutrophil invasion, and have been useful as biomarkers of respiratory disease in other species.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine and compare tracheal wash (TW) ALP activity in healthy horses and horses with LRT inflammation (LRTI) determined by TW cytology profile.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tracheal washes were collected from asymptomatic adult geldings to measure ALP activity. The horses were allocated to the healthy group or the group with LRT inflammation based on differential leukocyte counts of TW preparations. Horses with > 20% neutrophils and > 1% eosinophils were allocated to the LRTI group, the horses with < 20% neutrophils and < 1% eosinophils were the controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tracheal wash ALP activity, measured using a semiautomatic chemistry analyzer, was statistically significantly higher in 18 horses with LRTI (18.9 ± 11.2 × 10(3) U/L) than in healthy horses (10.3 ± 5.9 × 10(3) U/L) (P = .021).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Determining tracheal wash ALP activity is a simple, inexpensive and safe technique that can be used to facilitate the early diagnosis of equine respiratory disease, since it is higher in asymptomatic adult horses with a TW cytology profile consistent with LRT inflammation than in healthy adult horses with a normal TW cytology profile.
authors.affiliation: Military Police of Rio de Janeiro State, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Viscardi
authors.affiliation: Military Police of Rio de Janeiro State, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Luisa L A
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Jorge
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology and Medicine, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, Brazil.
authors.forename: Katia M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Private Veterinarian, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eliene P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Sad
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Beatriz M
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology and Medicine, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nayro X
authors.initials: NX
authors.lastname: Alencar
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pathology and Medicine, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniel Augusto B
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lessa
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000201:enzymology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014132:Trachea / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase
keywords: Equine airway inflammation; pulmonary disease; tracheal cytology