Plasma neurofilament pNF-H concentration is not increased in acute equine grass sickness.

Summary

# Editorial Summary: Plasma neurofilament pNF-H as a biomarker for acute grass sickness Acute grass sickness remains a diagnostic challenge in equine practice, with definitive diagnosis currently requiring post-mortem histological examination of enteric ganglia, despite characteristic clinical presentation. Stratford and colleagues investigated whether plasma phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain (pNF-H)—a biomarker of axonal degeneration used successfully in some human and veterinary neurodegenerative conditions—could provide a non-invasive diagnostic tool by measuring concentrations in 20 AGS-affected and 20 control horses using ELISA. Only 5 AGS cases and 4 control horses showed detectable pNF-H levels (>0.0759 ng/ml), with no significant difference between groups, indicating the marker does not reliably distinguish affected from healthy animals. Whilst the study's negative finding is disappointing for practitioners seeking an objective diagnostic test, it highlights that AGS pathophysiology may not involve the degree of axonal degeneration measurable through this particular biomarker, and underscores the continued need for alternative diagnostic approaches or biomarkers reflecting the specific neurodegeneration affecting enteric ganglia in this condition.

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Key Findings

• •Plasma pNF-H was detectable in only 5 of 20 AGS cases and 4 of 20 control horses
• •No significant difference in pNF-H concentrations between AGS-affected and control horses
• •Plasma pNF-H cannot reliably distinguish AGS cases from healthy controls

Conditions Studied