Characterisation of clotting factors, anticoagulant protein activities and viscoelastic analysis in healthy donkeys.
BACKGROUND
Studies have demonstrated differences in commonly measured haemostatic parameters between donkeys and horses. Whether clotting factors, anticoagulant protein activities and thromboelastography parameters also differ between species is still unknown.


OBJECTIVE
To characterise haemostatic parameters in healthy donkeys and to compare these with those in horses.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
Clotting factors (V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI and XII), and antithrombin III, Protein C and Protein S activities were measured in 80 healthy Andalusian and crossbred donkeys and 40 healthy Andalusian crossbred horses with assays based on human deficient plasmas. Thromboelastography was performed in 34 donkeys using a coagulation and platelet function analyser.


RESULTS
Donkeys had shorter activated partial thromboplastin time (mean ± s.d. 33.4 ± 5.2 s vs. 38.8 ± 4.2 s; P<0.001) and higher Factor VII (1825 ± 206 vs. 1513 ± 174; P<0.001), IX (142 ± 41 vs. 114 ± 28; P<0.05) and XI (59.4 ± 14.0 vs. 27.2 ± 6.3; P<0.001) activities, whereas horses showed higher Factor X (130 ± 32 vs. 145 ± 23; P>0.05) and XII (96 ± 21 vs. 108 ± 15; P<0.001) activities. Antithrombin III (204 ± 26 vs. 174 ± 29; P<0.001), Protein C (33.16 ± 10.0 vs. 7.57 ± 1.70; P<0.001) and Protein S (median [interquartile range]: 7.8 [5.8-9.3] vs. 6.2 [5.2-7.0]; P<0.001) activities were higher in donkeys. Activated clot time (175 [159-189]), time to peak (6.5 [5.8-7.8]) and clot formation rate (26.9 [16.9-36.4]) in donkeys were shorter than reported values in horses.


CONCLUSIONS
Haemostatic pathways could not be fully evaluated in donkeys because some tests are unavailable. Certain fibrinolytic parameters (plasmin, plasminogen, etc.) have not been characterised in donkeys and this may have affected our results.


CONCLUSIONS
The haemostatic system in donkeys differs from that in horses and extrapolation of reference values between these species is not appropriate.
Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain.
A
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4086-0940
A
Perez-Ecija
Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain.
F J
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7725-8080
FJ
Mendoza
D000818:Animals; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018397:Equidae / Q000097:blood*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D012212:Rheology; D013045:Species Specificity
D000925:Anticoagulants; D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors; D001798:Blood Proteins
Protein C; Protein S; antithrombin III; clotting factors; donkey; horse; sonoclot