Plasma C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 concentrations in foals during health and respiratory disease.
Authors: Hildebrandt Dorothea, Venner Monica, Hart Kelsey A, Berghaus Londa
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Plasma C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 concentrations in foals during health and respiratory disease Early identification of bronchopneumonia in foals remains clinically challenging, yet delays in diagnosis can result in severe morbidity and mortality; human neonatal medicine has established C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) as reliable diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in pneumonia, but comparable evidence in foal populations with naturally occurring respiratory disease has been limited. Hildebrandt and colleagues measured plasma concentrations of these two inflammatory markers in healthy foals and in those presenting with respiratory disease, establishing baseline values and determining whether CRP and IL-6 could effectively discriminate between health and disease states. The findings provide practising veterinarians with quantifiable inflammatory thresholds that may improve diagnostic accuracy and enable more targeted antimicrobial therapy, particularly in early-stage bronchopneumonia when clinical signs remain subtle or non-specific. For farriers and physiotherapists working alongside veterinary teams, understanding these biomarker responses contextualises the inflammatory cascade underlying respiratory compromise and reinforces the importance of timely referral when foals display respiratory signs. The practical utility of these biomarkers—particularly IL-6, which may offer greater sensitivity—warrants consideration as adjunctive diagnostic tools in equine neonatal practice, potentially reducing unnecessary systemic treatments in borderline cases whilst ensuring intervention in genuinely compromised foals.
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Practical Takeaways
- •CRP and IL-6 may serve as valuable biomarkers for early detection and assessment of severity in foals with respiratory disease, potentially improving treatment outcomes
- •These inflammatory markers could help differentiate bronchopneumonia from other respiratory conditions in foals, enabling more targeted therapeutic interventions
- •Implementing these biomarkers in clinical practice may reduce complications associated with delayed diagnosis in neonatal foal respiratory disease
Key Findings
- •C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for neonatal pneumonia in other species
- •Early and specific diagnosis of bronchopneumonia in foals is critical for preventing severe disease progression
- •Evaluation of CRP and IL-6 markers in foals with naturally occurring respiratory diseases has not been previously established