EVALUATION OF CLINICAL FEATURES, ULTRASONOGRAPHY AND CARDIAC BIOMARKERS IN TRAUMATIC AND NON-TRAUMATIC PERICARDITIS IN COWS

Abstract

Abstract: A total of 82 female cows with signs of congestive heart failure (CHF) were examined clinically and echocardiography at Veterinary Teaching Hospital of Zagazig University, Egypt. Sixty-seven were diagnosed as traumatic pericarditis (TP) and 15 as non-traumatic pericarditis (non-TP). inappetence, fever, abnormal heart sounds, brisket edema were the most common clinical finding of both diseases. Recurrent tympany was an additional clinical sign in cows with TP. Respiratory acidosis, anemia, leukocytosis, and hyperfibrinogenemia were the main altered hematological parameters in both diseases.  There are significant increases in all cardiac biomarkers concentration (Cardiac troponin I (CTnI), Cardiac troponin T (CTnT), Creatine kinase myocardial band (CK-MB), Lactic dehydrogenase enzyme (LDH), amino-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and endothelin) in TP and non-traumatic pericarditis (non-TP). Whilst CTnI, CTnT, and CK-MB are the cardiac biomarkers that significantly differentiate between TP and non-TP. In conclusion, clinical evaluation couldn't differentiate between TP and non-TP while ultrasonography and CTnI, CTnT and CK-MB were of high diagnostic value for differentiation between both diseases.Keywords: Cardiac biomarkers; biochemical alterations; cattle; hematology; traumatic pericarditis; non-traumatic pericarditis.