Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease of great impact that produces functional disability at an early age in racehorses where its diagnosis is usually carried out in advanced stages of the disease. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the presence of the activating receptor ligand of nuclear factor kappa-β (RANKL) in synovial fluid of equines in training. Three healthy horses of two years and four horses of 3-4 years of age with signs of joint inflammation were evaluated clinically and radiographically. Synovial fluid was extracted to quantify the expression of RANKL in different pathological states of the carpus by an ELISA test. The average value of RANKL in healthy horses was 33.13 ± 8.30 pg/ml and in horses with OA signs of 49.03 ± 5.95 pg/ml (p<0.05).

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the main conditions that affects the performance of sports horses. Early diagnosis of the disease is relevant in its clinical and therapeutic management. The evidence shows that this process has a clear relationship between osteoclasts and immune cells sharing molecules such as cytokines, receptors, signaling molecules and transcription factors that influence each other where they play a crucial role in both pathological and physiological bone resorption. The role of the nuclear receptor activator ligand-KB (RANKL) is described as one of the most relevant cytokines that induce osteoclastogenesis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease of great impact that produces functional disability at an early age in racehorses where its diagnosis is usually carried out in advanced stages of the disease. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the presence of the activating receptor ligand of nuclear factor kappa-β (RANKL) in synovial fluid of equines in training. Three healthy horses of two years and four horses of 3-4 years of age with signs of joint inflammation were evaluated clinically and radiographically. Synovial fluid was extracted to quantify the expression of RANKL in different pathological states of the carpus by an ELISA test. The average value of RANKL in healthy horses was 33.13 ± 8.30 pg/ml and in horses with OA signs of 49.03 ± 5.95 pg/ml (p<0.05).

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the main conditions that affects the performance of sports horses. Early diagnosis of the disease is relevant in its clinical and therapeutic management. The evidence shows that this process has a clear relationship between osteoclasts and immune cells sharing molecules such as cytokines, receptors, signaling molecules and transcription factors that influence each other where they play a crucial role in both pathological and physiological bone resorption. The role of the nuclear receptor activator ligand-KB (RANKL) is described as one of the most relevant cytokines that induce osteoclastogenesis.