Cerebrospinal fluid and serum proteomic profiles accurately distinguish neuroaxonal dystrophy from cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy in horses.

Donnelly CG, Johnson AL, Reed S, Finno CJ. Cerebrospinal fluid and serum proteomic profiles accurately distinguish neuroaxonal dystrophy from cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy in horses. J Vet Intern Med. Published March 16, 2023. doi:10.1111/jvim.16660

This study evaluated proteomic techniques and machine learning algorithms to differentiate equine neuroaxonal dystrophy (eNAD/EDM) from cervical vertebral compressive myelopathy (CVCM) in horses. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from confirmed cases of eNAD/EDM, CVCM, and neurologically normal horses were analyzed, identifying 18 proteins in CSF and 30 in serum with differential abundance among the groups. A two-protein test using CSF, specifically R-spondin 1 and neurofilament-light, achieved high diagnostic accuracy. These findings highlight the potential for proteomic and machine learning techniques in the antemortem diagnosis of noninfectious spinal ataxia in horses.