Evaluation of oxidative stress in ill neonatal foals: a preliminary study.

Oxidative stress biomarkers, particularly SOD, BTChE, and TAC, may help predict severity and survival in ill neonatal foals.

This prospective multicenter cohort study investigated oxidative stress biomarkers in 26 foals under 14 days of age, comparing 16 hospitalized ill foals (11 sick non-septic, 5 septic) with 10 healthy Standardbred controls. The study measured multiple antioxidant and oxidative stress markers including plasma paraoxonase (POase), arylesterase (AREase), superoxide dismutase (SOD), butyrylcholinesterase (BTChE), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and lipid peroxidation (LPO). At admission, ill foals demonstrated significantly reduced antioxidant enzyme activity (SOD, GPx, BTChE, GST) and elevated lipid peroxidation compared to healthy controls (P ≤ .01). Non-survivors exhibited significantly lower levels of POase, SOD, BTChE, GST, and GPx, alongside higher LPO values. Generalized linear mixed model analysis revealed that SOD, BTChE, and TAC were significantly associated with both sepsis score and survival score (P < .001), while AREase and POase were associated with sepsis score alone. Nine of 16 ill foals survived to discharge. These findings confirm that ill neonatal foals experience measurable oxidative stress characterized by diminished antioxidant defenses and increased oxidative damage. The correlation between specific biomarkers and clinical severity scores as well as survival outcome supports the potential clinical utility of oxidative stress assessment in equine neonatal medicine, warranting further investigation with larger study populations.

This summary was distilled by AI and may occasionally misinterpret data. Confirm critical details with the primary literature before clinical application.