Reference ranges for serum bile acids (SBA) concentration arewell established in healthy adult horses. Increased values areindicative of hepatic disease. This study tested the hypothesisthat SBA concentrations are significantly greater in theneonatal period compared with mature horses, and illness inthe neonatal period will further increase SBA. In thisprospective cross-sectional study, blood samples wereobtained once from 10 mature horses and 12 healthy foalsimmediately after birth, at 2 days, and at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6weeks of age; and from 31 ill foals less than 1 month of ageat the time of admission to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital ofthe University of Georgia. SBA concentrations weredetermined enzymatically and by radioimmunoassay. Total anddirect bilirubin and triglyceride concentrations were measured,as well as sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) and gammaglutamyltransferase (GGT) activities.
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