COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN PLASMA FIBRINOGEN CONCENTRATIONS DETERMINED BY SCHALM AND CLAUSS TECHNIQUES IN COLIC AND HEALTHY HORSES

Abstract

Two different techniques for the determination of fibrinogen plasma concentration were compared during eight time points. Twenty healthy horses (GI) and ten horses with colic (GII) were included in this study. The Schalm´s technique was compared to the Clauss´s technique. The first one is based on the thermal precipitation of the fibrinogen at 56oC. The second involves the polymerization of the fibrinogen molecule. Both groups of horses during all time points had mean values of plasmatic fibrinogen higher using Schalm’s technique compared to the values obtained with Clauss technique (p<0.05). This difference can be due to the several inhibitor factors that interfere with the kinetic process at the Clauss´s technique. The hyperfibrinogenemia seen in GII, between the 2nd and 5th day post-surgery occurred not only due to the surgical trauma, but also to the infection process at the surgical wound. With these finding it is recommended the use of Schalm’s technique for fibrinogen determination in healthy and colic horses. This technique is then considered to be the simplest, of easy execution, low cost and coherent. The seriated analysis of fibrinogen contributes in a positive and precocious manner during the diagnoses of inflammatory and infectious processes in colic horses. 
KEY WORD: Colic, equine, fibrinogen, techniques comparison.