Helbig Hannah, Berghaus Londa J, Venner Monica, Berghaus Roy, Hart Kelsey A
Clinic for Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany.
Department of Large Animal Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.
Equine Vet J. 2025 Nov;57(6):1500-1510. doi: 10.1111/evj.14480. Epub 2025 Jan 30.
Adequate vitamin availability is vital for cellular and immune function and for normal growth. Available data on age-related changes in serum concentrations of vitamins in foals are limited. In addition, associations between circulating vitamin concentrations and the development of bronchopneumonia in foals are not described.
(1) To quantify circulating concentrations of vitamins C, D and E from birth to weaning in foals; (2) to determine associations between vitamin concentrations and the development of bronchopneumonia during this period.
Prospective cohort study.
Blood samples were serially collected from 100 initially healthy Warmblood foals from birth to 5 months of age. Health status was evaluated weekly, and the development of subclinical and clinical bronchopneumonia was recorded. After weaning, foals were allocated to healthy, subclinical and clinical pneumonia groups, and samples from 15 foals/group were randomly selected for vitamin C, D and E quantification via ELISA and HPLC. Data were analysed with linear mixed models (p < 0.05).
Circulating concentrations of vitamins C, D and E did not differ between healthy foals and foals with subclinical or clinical pneumonia. Foal age significantly impacted vitamin concentrations (p < 0.001) in a vitamin-specific manner. Vitamins C and E concentrations increased during the first week of life and then decreased until weaning. Vitamin C concentrations were higher at pneumonia diagnosis in foals with pneumonia diagnosed at or before 8 weeks of age than in healthy foals. Vitamin D concentrations were lowest on Day 7 and then increased steadily until weaning.
A small number of foals was included, and results may be specific to this study population due to environmental and farm management factors.
Circulating concentrations of vitamins C, D and E vary with age in foals, but do not appear to be related to the development of bronchopneumonia.
充足的维生素供应对细胞和免疫功能以及正常生长至关重要。关于马驹血清维生素浓度随年龄变化的现有数据有限。此外，尚未描述循环维生素浓度与马驹支气管肺炎发生之间的关联。
（1）量化马驹从出生到断奶期间维生素C、D和E的循环浓度；（2）确定此期间维生素浓度与支气管肺炎发生之间的关联。
前瞻性队列研究。
从100匹最初健康的温血马驹出生至5月龄连续采集血样。每周评估健康状况，并记录亚临床和临床支气管肺炎的发生情况。断奶后，将马驹分为健康、亚临床和临床肺炎组，每组随机选取15匹小马驹的样本，通过酶联免疫吸附测定法（ELISA）和高效液相色谱法（HPLC）对维生素C、D和E进行定量分析。采用线性混合模型分析数据（p < 0.05）。
健康马驹与患有亚临床或临床肺炎的马驹之间，维生素C、D和E的循环浓度没有差异。马驹年龄以维生素特异性方式显著影响维生素浓度（p < 0.001）。维生素C和E的浓度在出生后第一周升高，然后下降直至断奶。8周龄及以前诊断为肺炎的马驹在肺炎诊断时的维生素C浓度高于健康马驹。维生素D浓度在第7天最低，然后稳步上升直至断奶。
纳入的马驹数量较少，由于环境和农场管理因素，结果可能特定于本研究群体。
马驹体内维生素C、D和E的循环浓度随年龄变化，但似乎与支气管肺炎的发生无关。
