[Free hemoglobin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in the blood of horses with colic or acute colitis].

A total of 50 adult horses were classified into 4 groups: healthy horses (group 1, n = 14), horses with non-strangulation obstruction (group 2, n = 13), horses with strangulation obstruction (group 3, n = 11) and horses with acute colitis and severe inflammation (peritonitis or thrombophlebitis) (group 4, n = 12). Eleven euthanized horses recreated from group 3 (4 horses with small intestinal strangulation obstruction and hemolytic peritoneal fluid) and group 4 (7 horses with septic peritonitis) were taken as group 5. Free hemoglobin (fr. Hb) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFa) were measured by method of Kahn and by Duo Set ELISA Development Kit. The concentrations of fr. Hb and TNF-a were significantly higher (p <0.01) in group 3 (medians: 8.0 micromol/l; 14665 pg/ml) and group 4 (9.1; 15081) in comparison to healthy horses (0.61; 573) and group 2 (0.5; 821), whereas group 2 showed no significant difference with group 1.There was a positive correlation between fr. Hb and TNF-alpha (r = 0.82; P = 0.01) in group 4. Concentrations of both fr. Hb and TNF-alpha were significantly (p <0,01) higher in euthanized horses of group 5 than in medically treated horses of group 2.The high concentration of fr. Hb could be a proinflammatory mediator to stimulate high production ofTNF-alpha known as a proinflammatory cytokine. Both of these parameters could contribute to the pathogenesis of systemic inflammatory response syndrome: fever, tachycardia, tachypnoe, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and lactic acidosis. Based on this, increased concentrations of both fr. Hb and TNF-alpha could be a guarded prognostic indicator in horses with strangulation obstruction, acute colitis or septic peritonitis.