Surgical stress influences cytokine content in autologous conditioned serum.
Authors: Fjordbakk C T, Johansen G M, Løvås A C, Oppegård K L, Storset A K
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Surgical Stress and Autologous Conditioned Serum Cytokine Content Autologous conditioned serum (ACS) is widely used in equine practice to harness anti-inflammatory and regenerative cytokines, yet no clinical guidance exists on optimal timing relative to surgical procedures—a significant gap given that many horses receive ACS therapy during perioperative periods. Fjordbakk and colleagues investigated this question using blood samples from 15 stallions collected before and 22–24 hours after castration, incubating samples in both specialised ACS containers and standard serum tubes to measure six key cytokines (IL-1Ra, IL-10, IL-1β, TNF-α, IGF-1 and TGF-β). Post-operative samples showed substantially reduced delta IGF-1 production compared with preoperative samples, and horses exhibiting marked surgical stress (determined by elevated serum amyloid A) demonstrated significantly lower increases in IL-1Ra, TGF-β and IGF-1 during incubation than those with mild or moderate stress responses. Importantly, standard serum tubes produced cytokine levels comparable to specialised ACS containers, and haematological variables did not reliably predict cytokine production capacity. For practitioners, these findings suggest that collecting blood for ACS within 24 hours following surgery may compromise the therapeutic cytokine yield, particularly the growth factor profile; practitioners should consider delaying ACS preparation until the acute stress response has resolved, and routine ACS use may not require expensive specialised containers.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Timing of blood collection relative to surgery matters: post-operative ACS (24h after surgery) produces different cytokine profiles than pre-operative samples, with reduced growth factor content in horses with marked inflammatory response
- •Standard blood collection tubes may be suitable alternatives to expensive specialised ACS containers without compromising cytokine yield
- •Pre-operative blood collection may be preferable for therapeutic ACS preparation in horses undergoing surgery, as post-operative samples show reduced beneficial cytokine production
Key Findings
- •Surgical stress significantly reduces delta IGF-1 levels in post-operative ACS compared to pre-operative samples
- •Horses with marked surgical stress showed significantly lower delta IL-1Ra and delta TGF-β than those with moderate stress
- •No haematological markers were identified that could predict cytokine production in ACS
- •Cytokine levels were comparable between standard blood tubes and specialised ACS containers, suggesting specialised containers may be unnecessary