Endothelial glycocalyx degradation in critically ill foals

Background Endothelial glycocalyx (EG) degradation occurs in septic humans and EG products can be used as biomarkers of endothelial injury. Information about EG biomarkers and their association with disease severity is lacking in hospitalized foals. Objectives Measure serum syndecan‐1 (SDC‐1), heparan sulfate (HS), angiopoietin‐2 (ANG‐2), aldosterone (ALD), and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations and to determine their association with disease severity and death in hospitalized foals. Animals Ninety foals ≤3 days old. Methods Prospective, multicenter, longitudinal study. Foals were categorized into hospitalized (n = 74; 55 septic; 19 sick nonseptic) and 16 healthy foals. Serum ([SDC‐1], [HS], [ANG‐2], [ALD]) and plasma (ANP) were measured over 72 hours using immunoassays. Results Serum ([SDC‐1], [HS], [ANG‐2], [ALD]) and plasma (ANP) were significantly higher in hospitalized and septic than healthy foals (P 11.5 pg/mL was associated with the likelihood of nonsurvival in hospitalized foals (OR = 7.2; 95% CI = 1.4‐37.4; P 1018 pg/mL on admission had higher odds of nonsurvival (OR = 6.5; 95% CI =1.2‐36.6; P