Extracted Plasma Cell-Free DNA Concentrations Are Elevated in Colic Patients with Systemic Inflammation
Authors: Rosemary L. Bayless, Bethanie Cooper, M. Sheats
Journal: Veterinary Sciences
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Cell-Free DNA as a Biomarker for Systemic Inflammation in Equine Colic Determining the severity and likely outcome of colic cases remains a significant clinical challenge, and identifying reliable biomarkers could substantially improve decision-making around treatment intensity and prognosis. Bayless and colleagues measured plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA)—a marker released when cells are damaged or activated by inflammation—in blood samples from colic patients, stratifying them by lesion type, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) status, and survival outcome. The key finding was that cfDNA concentrations were significantly elevated specifically in colic patients meeting published criteria for equine SIRS, whilst showing no significant differences between strangulating and non-strangulating lesions, or between survivors and non-survivors. The practical value of this work lies in its focus on systemic inflammation rather than lesion type; since the severity of systemic response is known to drive outcomes in colic, a simple, portable blood test indicating inflammatory burden could help practitioners tailor monitoring intensity and therapeutic escalation. Although these results represent early-stage evidence and further validation is needed before clinical implementation, the use of compact fluorometry to measure cfDNA offers a potentially accessible tool for equine practices seeking objective markers of systemic inflammation during colic cases.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •cfDNA measurement may help identify colic cases with systemic inflammation, but current evidence does not support its use to predict survival or differentiate colic types
- •The portable Qubit fluorometer makes cfDNA testing potentially field-accessible, but further validation is needed before clinical adoption
- •Use clinical SIRS criteria alongside other established prognostic indicators rather than relying on cfDNA alone at this stage
Key Findings
- •Plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) concentrations were significantly elevated in colic patients meeting SIRS criteria compared to non-SIRS colic patients
- •cfDNA concentrations did not differ significantly between strangulating versus non-strangulating colic lesions
- •cfDNA concentrations did not differ significantly between colic survivors and non-survivors
- •Extracted plasma cfDNA measured via Qubit fluorometer shows promise as a biomarker for systemic inflammation in equine colic