TY - JOUR

T1 - Concentrations of Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin are increased in serum and peritoneal fluid from horses with inflammatory abdominal disease and non-strangulating intestinal infarctions

AU - Winther, Malou Flensborg

AU - Haugaard, Simon Libak

AU - Pihl, Tina

AU - Jacobsen, Stine

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - BackgroundNeutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is produced in response to inflammation in horses, but it has not yet been investigated as a biomarker in horses with the abdominal disease.ObjectivesTo investigate NGAL in serum and peritoneal fluid in horses with the abdominal disease.Study designRetrospective clinical study.MethodsData from medical records of 270 horses admitted with acute abdominal disease (simple obstructions [n = 43], strangulating obstructions [n = 104], inflammatory abdominal disease [n = 99], non-strangulating intestinal infarction [NSII, n = 24]) and 9 healthy control horses were reviewed, and serum and peritoneal fluid samples were retrieved from a biobank. NGAL was measured in serum and peritoneal fluid by ELISA. Differences in NGAL concentrations between groups were assessed.ResultsHealthy horses had low serum and peritoneal fluid concentrations of NGAL (median = 21.0 and 9.5 μg/L, respectively). Neither serum nor peritoneal fluid NGAL concentrations (median serum, peritoneal fluid) differed between healthy horses and horses with simple (28.1 μg/L, 13.0 μg/L) and strangulating intestinal obstructions (34.7 μg/L, 38.4 μg/L). Horses with NSII (308.0 μg/L, 2163.0 μg/L) and inflammatory abdominal disease (171.1 μg/L, 314.1 μg/L) had higher serum and peritoneal fluid concentrations of NGAL than the other groups (p < 0.001). Peritoneal fluid NGAL concentrations in horses with NSII were higher than in horses with inflammatory abdominal disease (p = 0.03).Main limitationsRetrospective study design; small group of control horses.ConclusionsNGAL is a marker of inflammation in horses with the abdominal disease. The high peritoneal fluid concentration of NGAL in horses with NSII compared to all other groups may render NGAL useful for identifying this condition, which is otherwise difficult to differentiate from other types of peritonitis. Thereby, NGAL may potentially facilitate timely surgical intervention in this group of patients. The results of this study must be evaluated in larger, and preferably prospective, studies to obtain a more comprehensive evaluation of the diagnostic utility of NGAL.

AB - BackgroundNeutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is produced in response to inflammation in horses, but it has not yet been investigated as a biomarker in horses with the abdominal disease.ObjectivesTo investigate NGAL in serum and peritoneal fluid in horses with the abdominal disease.Study designRetrospective clinical study.MethodsData from medical records of 270 horses admitted with acute abdominal disease (simple obstructions [n = 43], strangulating obstructions [n = 104], inflammatory abdominal disease [n = 99], non-strangulating intestinal infarction [NSII, n = 24]) and 9 healthy control horses were reviewed, and serum and peritoneal fluid samples were retrieved from a biobank. NGAL was measured in serum and peritoneal fluid by ELISA. Differences in NGAL concentrations between groups were assessed.ResultsHealthy horses had low serum and peritoneal fluid concentrations of NGAL (median = 21.0 and 9.5 μg/L, respectively). Neither serum nor peritoneal fluid NGAL concentrations (median serum, peritoneal fluid) differed between healthy horses and horses with simple (28.1 μg/L, 13.0 μg/L) and strangulating intestinal obstructions (34.7 μg/L, 38.4 μg/L). Horses with NSII (308.0 μg/L, 2163.0 μg/L) and inflammatory abdominal disease (171.1 μg/L, 314.1 μg/L) had higher serum and peritoneal fluid concentrations of NGAL than the other groups (p < 0.001). Peritoneal fluid NGAL concentrations in horses with NSII were higher than in horses with inflammatory abdominal disease (p = 0.03).Main limitationsRetrospective study design; small group of control horses.ConclusionsNGAL is a marker of inflammation in horses with the abdominal disease. The high peritoneal fluid concentration of NGAL in horses with NSII compared to all other groups may render NGAL useful for identifying this condition, which is otherwise difficult to differentiate from other types of peritonitis. Thereby, NGAL may potentially facilitate timely surgical intervention in this group of patients. The results of this study must be evaluated in larger, and preferably prospective, studies to obtain a more comprehensive evaluation of the diagnostic utility of NGAL.

U2 - 10.1111/evj.13603

DO - 10.1111/evj.13603

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 35642326

VL - 55

SP - 426

EP - 434

JO - Equine Veterinary Journal

JF - Equine Veterinary Journal

SN - 0425-1644

IS - 3

ER -