Evaluation of thrombin-antithrombin complexes and fibrin fragment D in carbohydrate-induced acute laminitis.
Authors: Weiss, Monreal, Angles, Monasterio
Journal: Research in veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Thrombin-Antithrombin Complexes and Fibrin Fragment D in Carbohydrate-Induced Acute Laminitis Whilst carbohydrate overload is well established as a trigger for acute laminitis, the underlying vascular and coagulation mechanisms remain incompletely understood; this 1997 investigation sought to determine whether systemic activation of the coagulation cascade occurs during the prodromal phase by measuring two key markers of clotting activity. Plasma samples from laminitis-affected and control horses and ponies were analysed for thrombin-antithrombin (TAT) complexes and fibrin fragment D (D-dimer), both sensitive indicators of coagulation and fibrinolytic system activation. Neither marker showed statistically significant elevation in affected animals, with few individual values exceeding control reference ranges, suggesting that the microthrombi and platelet deposition documented within the dermal laminae do not reflect generalised systemic coagulation activation. These findings imply that the prothrombotic pathology of carbohydrate-induced laminitis may arise from localised vascular dysfunction rather than widespread blood-clotting dysregulation, potentially redirecting clinical attention towards regional perfusion deficits and endothelial injury as primary mechanistic drivers. For practitioners, this indicates that monitoring systemic coagulation markers may have limited diagnostic value in early laminitis, and that localised therapeutic interventions targeting hoof perfusion might warrant priority over systemic anticoagulant strategies.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Systemic coagulation markers (TAT complexes and D-dimer) do not appear to be reliable indicators of laminitis development, suggesting local microthrombi formation may occur without detectable systemic coagulation activation
- •The pathophysiology of carbohydrate-induced laminitis likely involves localized vascular events in the hoof rather than generalized systemic coagulation changes
- •These findings suggest that monitoring systemic coagulation parameters alone would not be useful for early detection or diagnosis of laminitis in clinical practice
Key Findings
- •No statistically significant differences in thrombin-antithrombin complexes or fibrin fragment D (D-dimer) between control and laminitis-affected ponies and horses
- •Few individual animal values exceeded reference ranges for control animals
- •Prothrombotic events in carbohydrate-induced laminitis may not be associated with systemic activation of coagulation or fibrinolytic systems