Gelsolin and lipoprotein binding protein within synovial fluid as diagnostic markers of equine osteoarthritis

Davis Biologics 1 , is designed to help assess larval burden and guide anthelmintic choice in clinically healthy animals.There is currently no available evidence as to its value in diagnosis of larval cyathostomiasis.Objectives: Evaluate the association between serum IgG(T) antibodies (expressed as serum scores) and a clinical diagnosis of cyathostomiasis.Study design: Retrospective case-control study.Methods: Records of all horses billed for the CBT since it became available in 2019 at Three Counties Equine Hospital were retrieved from electronic patient records (EPR).The patients were assigned to three presumptive diagnoses based on signalment, clinical features and laboratory parameters: (1) larval cyathostomiasis, (2) non-cyathostomiasis colitis and (3) non-colitis.Serum scores were compared between groups using the Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by pairwise comparisons with a Bonferroni correction.Results: 64 horses met the inclusion criteria over the period from 2019 to 2023.Of these, 14 (21.9%) were assigned to group 1, 7 (10.9%) to group 2 and 43 (67.2%) to group 3. Horses in group 1 had a higher median score (63.95,).This difference was statistically significant between groups 1 and 3 (p = 0.01) but not between 1 and 2 ( p = 0.6) or 2 and 3 ( p > 0.9). Main limitations:Retrospective study with incomplete data, imperfect grouping of cases due to lack of diagnostic gold standard for larval cyathostomiasis, small case numbers limiting statistical power.Conclusions: This study suggests some positive association between increased serum ELISA scores and clinical larval cyathostomiasis.Further, prospective data are needed to confirm and characterise the use of cyathostomin serum ELISA scores in the diagnosis of larval cyathostomiasis.