Hematologic Ratios in Donkeys: Reference Intervals and Response to Experimentally Induced Endotoxemia

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Comparative Pathology
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Endotoxemia is a frequent complication in donkeys, often secondary to various diseases.
• Hematologic ratios are emerging biomarkers for diagnosing and predicting outcomes in human sepsis.
• While studied in septic foals, their utility and reference intervals (RIs) in donkeys remain uninvestigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish reference intervals (RIs) for common hematologic ratios in healthy adult donkeys.
• To evaluate the impact of induced endotoxemia on these hematologic ratios in donkeys.

Main Methods:

• Determined RIs for hematologic ratios in 73 healthy adult donkeys.
• Induced endotoxemia via lipopolysaccharide (LPS) infusion in six healthy adult donkeys.
• Analyzed variations in hematologic ratios following LPS administration.

Main Results:

• Most evaluated hematologic ratios showed significant alterations after induced endotoxemia, with values falling outside established RIs.
• The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio decreased significantly post-LPS infusion, similar to findings in septic foals.
• The red cell distribution width to platelet ratio did not change significantly, differing from reports in septic foals.

Conclusions:

• Hematologic ratios vary significantly in donkeys following induced endotoxemia.
• Established cut-off values for these ratios from other species, like foals, cannot be directly applied to donkeys.
• Further research is required to establish species-specific cut-off values for hematologic ratios in donkeys with natural endotoxemia or other diseases.