Increased plasma nucleosomes are associated with severe sepsis in foals

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Equine Neonatal Health
• Immunology

Background:

• Sepsis is a leading cause of mortality in neonatal foals.
• Diagnosis is challenging due to non-specific clinical signs and limited diagnostic tools.
• Increased nucleosome levels are associated with sepsis in humans and other animals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether circulating nucleosome levels are elevated in foals with sepsis.
• To determine if nucleosome levels correlate with disease severity, specifically severe sepsis in foals.

Main Methods:

• Plasma samples were collected from clinically healthy, sick non-septic, and septic foals.
• An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to quantify nucleosome levels.
• Septic foals were further classified as severe sepsis based on hypoperfusion and/or organ dysfunction.

Main Results:

• Nucleosome levels were significantly higher in foals with severe sepsis compared to all other groups.
• No significant difference in nucleosome levels was observed between sick non-septic and clinically healthy foals.
• The study acknowledges potential confounding factors like non-age-matched groups.

Conclusions:

• Elevated nucleosome levels show promise as a biomarker for severe sepsis in neonatal foals.
• Nucleosome analysis may aid in assessing and understanding equine neonatal sepsis.
• Larger, age-matched studies are recommended to validate these findings and explore related biomarkers.