title: Are pulmonary hemostasis and fibrinolysis out of balance in equine chronic pneumopathies?
abstract: Clinical examination, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology, acute-phase protein, and pulmonary hemostasis and fibrinolysis marker (fibrinogen, serum amyloid A [SAA], and D-dimer) results were compared between control and respiratory disease-affected horses. Using a clinical scoring system, horses (n = 58) were classified as respiratory disease-free (Controls, n = 15) or with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO; n = 18), inflammatory airway disease (n = 14) or chronic interstitial pneumopathy (n = 11). There were no significant differences in fibrinogen concentrations among groups, but there was a trend toward a lower value in controls (median 0.0024 g/L) than in horses with chronic pneumopathies (median 0.0052 g/L), in particular, those with RAO (median 0.0062 g/L). Fibrinogen concentration was positively correlated with percentage of neutrophils in BALF (rs= 0.377,p= 0.004). SAA concentrations were low; 65.5% of samples were below the detection limit. D-dimer concentrations were also low and quantifiable concentrations were only obtained after ultrafiltration and only in RAO (median 0.1 mg/L). In conclusion, there was limited evidence of increased coagulatory activity in chronic pneumopathies, apart from RAO. It is uncertain whether fibrinogen and D-dimer concentrations increased due to their role as acute-phase proteins or as a misbalance of coagulation and fibrinolysis.
authors.affiliation: Equine Clinic, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ann Kristin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.affiliation: Equine Clinic, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wirth
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Biochemistry, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bondzio
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Biochemistry, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Einspanier
authors.affiliation: Equine Clinic, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Heidrun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gehlen
mesh_terms: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D005342:Fibrinolysis / Q000502:physiology; D006487:Hemostasis / Q000502:physiology; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006736:Horses; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D005340:Fibrinogen
keywords: chronic interstitial pneumopathy; horses; inflammatory airway disease; inflammatory biomarker; recurrent airway obstruction