HDL, LDL and total cholesterol in healthy and septic neonatal foals

Total cholesterol (TC), HDL- and LDL-cholesterol have never been investigated in neonatal foals. The aims of this study were: a) to measure serum TC, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol in healthy foals at birth (T0) and after 72 hours (T72), and in septic foals at admission, b) to evaluate if any difference exists between healthy and septic foals and between surviving and non-surviving septic foals. Twenty-five foals ≤3 day-old were included: 13 healthy and 12 septic foals (mean age 24 ±18 hours), on the basis of positive blood culture and systemic inflammatory response. TC, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol were measured with colorimetric methods. Data were analyzed with paired and independent t-test, or 1-way ANOVA, and reported as mean ±sd. In healthy foals, TC, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol at T0 (TC 143 ±28 mg/dL; HDL- 31 ±12 mg/dL; LDL-cholesterol 101 ±27 mg/dL) were significantly lower than at T72 (TC 185 ±49 mg/dL; HDL- 50 ±6 mg/dL; LDL-cholesterol 124 ±43 mg/dL) (p <0.01, p <0.001, and p <0.05, respectively). TC, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol in septic foals at admission (TC 296 ±95 mg/dL; HDL- 45 ±12 mg/dL; LDL-cholesterol 219 ±80 mg/dL) were significantly higher than in healthy foals at T0 and T72 (p <0.0001). There were no differences between surviving and non-surviving septic foals. TC, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol increase in healthy foals at birth and in septic foals at admission could represent a derangement of lipid metabolism. Also the increase in serum amyloid A, the dominant HDL apoprotein during the acute phase response, could influence HDL-cholesterol.