Open AccessSerum Iron and Plasma Fibrinogen Concentrations as Indicators of Systemic Inflammatory Diseases in Horses
Author(s) -
Borges AIexandre S.,
Divers Thomas J.,
Stokol Tracy,
Mohammed O. Hussni
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of veterinary internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.356
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1939-1676
pISSN - 0891-6640
DOI - 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2007.tb02995.x
Subject(s) - medicine , fibrinogen , systemic inflammation , inflammation , immunology , gastroenterology
Background:Detection of systemic inflammation, which is important for proper diagnosis and prompt treatment, can be challenging. Hypothesis:Measurement of plasma iron concentration is a sensitive method for detecting systemic inflammation in horses compared with measurements of plasma fibrinogen concentration, a traditional marker for inflammation in the horse. Animals:Ninety‐seven horses hospitalized with diseases causing systemic inflammation, 22 horses with localized inflammation, and 12 clinically normal horses were included in this study. Methods:A retrospective study was made on hospitalized horses that had both plasma iron and fibrinogen concentrations measured on hospital admission. Results:Plasma iron concentration was lower in horses with systemic inflammation (64 ± 45 μg/dL) than the reference interval minimum (105 μg/dL) and were significantly lower ( P = .001) than the value in a group of horses with local inflammation (123 ± 45 μg/dL) and in healthy transported horses (143 ± 29 μg/dL). Low plasma iron and high fibrinogen concentrations were both sensitive indicators of systemic inflammation in horses with sensitivity of 90 and 82%, respectively. There was a similar correlation between either continued decreases in iron concentration (R sp of 0.239) or increases in fibrinogen concentration (R sp of 0.280) during hospitalization and a worse prognosis. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Measurement of plasma iron concentration better reflected acute inflammation than did fibrinogen concentration.