Paraoxonase-1 activity evaluation as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in horses and foals

Background: In several species, paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) decreases during inflammation, because of the presence of oxidative stress; its measurement recently has been validated in horses, but its role as a clinical biomarker is unknown. Objectives: To evaluate sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratio of PON-1 activity to identify systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS)-positive horses or horses with a poor prognosis. Animals: One hundred seventy-two blood samples from 58 sick horses from 3 different veterinary hospitals. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, PON-1 activity was measured upon admission and at 24-hour intervals until discharge or death, and results were analyzed based on SIRS status and outcome. Results: No statistically significant difference was found in median PON-1 activity between SIRS and non-SIRS cases or between survivors and non-survivors except for mares, in which PON-1 activity was significantly lower in SIRS-positive horses (P =.05). The sensitivity of PON-1 activity in identifying horses with SIRS or negative outcome was low (0.0%-46.2% depending on the examined group) but its specificity was high (87.0%-100.0%). However, when PON-1 is low, the likelihood of death is 2.40-3.89 times higher than the likelihood of survival. Repeated measurement of PON-1 after treatment does not predict outcome. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Evaluation of PON-1 activity in horses with inflammation might be advisable in the future, but only low activity at admission may be relevant in predicting SIRS or negative outcome.