Evaluation of a canine Coll2-1 ELISA kit for use in equine serum and its correlation with radiographic joint disease.

BACKGROUND

This study evaluated an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of Coll2-1, a peptide fragment of type II collagen released during cartilage degradation in horses using a kit originally developed for dogs.

AIMS/

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this study were to: 1) assess the analytical applicability of the canine Coll2-1 ELISA in equine serum and 2) explore the correlations between Coll2-1 concentrations and radiographic scores of osteoarthritis (OA) in horses.

METHODS

Twelve Lusitano stallions, of similar age and workload but presenting different radiographic scores were included. Radiographic studies of the stifle, tarsi, fetlocks and distal limbs were done and the classification of the radiographs was performed using a 0-4 scale. Blood samples were obtained at rest and the Coll2-1 concentration in equine serum measured using Coll2-1 ELISA. Analytical performance was evaluated by measuring intra-assay and inter-assay precision and regression analysis. Data distribution was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Non-parametric methods were applied when normality was rejected, and correlations between Coll2-1 concentrations and radiographic scores were evaluated using Kendall's Tau-b.

RESULTS

Intra-assay and inter-assay CVs ranged from 5.6 to 19.3% and 3.6 to 22%, respectively. The regression analysis yielded a determination coefficient of 0.94, with all analytical parameters within manufacturer's recommendations. No significant correlations were observed between serum Coll2-1 concentrations and radiographic OA scores.

CONCLUSION

Using serum, Coll2-1 did not appear to be a sensitive biomarker for identifying OA in this population. However, the canine ELISA demonstrated acceptable analytical performance in equine serum, supporting its use in another disease.