Endothelial glycocalyx degradation in critically ill foals

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Neonatal Care
• Endothelial Biology

Background:

• Endothelial glycocalyx (EG) degradation is observed in septic humans, with EG products serving as biomarkers for endothelial injury.
• Limited information exists regarding EG biomarkers and their correlation with disease severity in hospitalized foals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure serum concentrations of syndecan-1 (SDC-1), heparan sulfate (HS), angiopoietin-2 (ANG-2), aldosterone (ALD), and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) in hospitalized foals.
• To determine the association of these biomarkers with disease severity and mortality in hospitalized foals.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, multicenter, longitudinal study involving 90 foals ≤3 days old.
• Foals were classified into hospitalized (septic and nonseptic) and healthy groups.
• Serum and plasma samples were analyzed for biomarker concentrations using immunoassays over 72 hours.

Main Results:

• Hospitalized and septic foals exhibited significantly higher levels of SDC-1, HS, ANG-2, ALD, and ANP compared to healthy foals.
• Nonsurvivors had significantly higher ANG-2 and ANP levels than survivors.
• Elevated HS, ANP, and ANG-2 levels on admission were associated with increased odds of nonsurvival.

Conclusions:

• Critical illness in newborn foals is associated with EG degradation and endothelial injury.
• These biomarkers are indicative of disease severity upon admission and predict the outcome for sick foals.