Serum Phosphorylated Neurofilament Heavy Subunit Levels and its Association with the Risk for Catastrophic Injury in Thoroughbred Racehorses.
Authors: Rojas-Núñez Irene, Gomez Adriana Morales, Palmer Scott, Mohammed Hussni O
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Serum Phosphorylated Neurofilament Heavy Subunit Levels and Catastrophic Injury Risk in Thoroughbreds Researchers compared phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain (pNF-H)—a biomarker of neuronal damage—in serum samples from 148 Thoroughbreds that had sustained catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries against 195 clinically healthy controls, hypothesising that subclinical neurological compromise might predispose horses to catastrophic injury. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, they measured pNF-H concentrations and correlated findings with career variables including lifetime racing starts and injury context (racing versus training). Injured horses demonstrated higher median serum pNF-H concentrations (0.07 ng/ml) compared to controls (0.0 ng/ml), with a notable association between the number of lifetime starts and elevated pNF-H in case horses, yet no significant difference emerged between groups when injury occurred during racing specifically. The findings suggest that whilst cumulative exercise load may influence circulating neurofilament levels, subclinical neurological damage is unlikely to be a primary risk factor in catastrophic musculoskeletal injury aetiology—an important distinction for practitioners developing injury prevention strategies, as it redirects focus toward biomechanical, structural and conditioning factors rather than occult neurological deficits.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Serum pNF-H levels do not appear useful as a predictive biomarker for catastrophic injury risk in racehorses despite elevated levels in injured animals
- •Cumulative career exercise load (tracked by lifetime starts) shows stronger correlation with neurologic markers than acute injury events alone
- •Current monitoring should focus on training load management rather than relying on neurologic biomarkers for injury prevention
Key Findings
- •Median serum pNF-H concentration was significantly higher in horses with catastrophic musculoskeletal injury (0.07 ng/ml) compared to healthy controls (0.0 ng/ml)
- •Number of lifetime starts correlated with serum pNF-H concentration in injured horses, suggesting cumulative exercise load association
- •Serum pNF-H was higher in case horses during training-related injuries compared to racing-related injuries
- •Serum pNF-H measurement does not support subclinical neurologic injury as an associated risk factor for catastrophic musculoskeletal injury in Thoroughbreds