Evaluation of Protein Carbonyl Content in Healthy and Sick Hospitalized Horses.
Authors: Nocera Irene, Bonelli Francesca, Meucci Valentina, Rinnovati Riccardo, Spadari Alessandro, Intorre Luigi, Pretti Carlo, Sgorbini Micaela
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Protein Carbonyl Content as a Marker for Systemic Inflammatory Response in Horses Protein carbonylation represents an oxidative post-translational modification that accumulates during systemic inflammation, yet its clinical utility in equine medicine has remained largely unexplored. Nocera and colleagues evaluated protein carbonyl content (PCC) in 72 horses—18 healthy standardbred mares and 54 hospitalised animals with varying SIRS (Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome) status—collecting blood samples at admission and at 24-hour intervals for 96 hours in sick animals. SIRS-positive horses (n=46) demonstrated significantly elevated PCC compared to healthy controls, with values declining over the observational period, whereas SIRS-negative sick horses (n=8) showed no meaningful elevation; a cutoff value of 0.049 nmol/ml/mg yielded 74.5% sensitivity and 72.2% specificity for discriminating SIRS-positive from healthy horses. These findings suggest PCC could serve as a supplementary biomarker for confirming SIRS diagnosis in hospitalised horses and potentially monitoring inflammatory trajectory, though the modest sensitivity and specificity indicate it should complement rather than replace existing clinical and laboratory assessments. Further investigation into PCC's performance across different disease aetiologies and in early-stage presentation would strengthen its practical application for practitioners seeking objective measures of systemic inflammation severity.
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Practical Takeaways
- •PCC could serve as a supportive diagnostic tool for identifying systemic inflammation in sick horses, particularly when SIRS status is unclear from clinical signs alone
- •PCC levels appear to track disease course over time in SIRS-positive horses, potentially helping clinicians monitor response to treatment
- •This marker may help differentiate truly systemically inflamed horses from those with localized conditions, though it should not replace clinical judgment and traditional diagnostics
Key Findings
- •Protein carbonyl content (PCC) was significantly elevated in SIRS-positive horses compared to healthy horses, but not in SIRS-negative sick horses
- •A PCC cutoff value of 0.049 nmol/ml/mg discriminated SIRS-positive from healthy horses with 74.5% sensitivity and 72.2% specificity
- •PCC values decreased over the 96-hour observation period in SIRS-positive horses, suggesting potential prognostic utility
- •PCC shows promise as a biomarker for systemic inflammation in hospitalized horses