Advancements in Research

In 2024, the article "Large-scale study of blood markers in equine atypical myopathy reveals subclinical poisoning and advances in diagnostic and prognostic criteria" written by Benoît Renaud was published.

This article presents several advances in the understanding of equine atypical myopathy. It identifies specific acylcarnitine profiles characteristic of horses with atypical myopathy. In addition, it reveals that copasturants, although apparently healthy, show intermediate alterations in their acylcarnitine profile, suggesting that these animals are in fact subclinical cases. The study also shows that age and castration are protective factors against the disease. Finally, it proposes isovalerylcarnitine (C5 carnitine) as a promising new marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of atypical myopathy.

Recently, Caroline Kruse authored an article titled "New Pathophysiological Insights from Serum Proteome Profiling in Equine Atypical Myopathy," published in 2023.

This article explores the underlying mechanisms of Equine Atypical Myopathy (EAM) using a serum proteome profiling approach (i.e., the proteome is the set of proteins expressed in a cell, part of a cell (membranes, organelles), or a group of cells (organ, organism, group of organisms)).

Serum proteins from horses affected by atypical myopathy and healthy controls were analyzed to identify significant differences. This study revealed significant alterations in the protein profiles of horses affected by atypical myopathy, highlighting specific disease markers. These markers are associated with processes such as inflammation, oxidative stress, regulation of energy metabolism, and immune response.

These findings pave the way for new possibilities in early diagnosis and understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms of atypical myopathy.

In 2020, an article presenting frequently asked questions about atypical myopathy was published in French and English. It is co-authored by Professor D.Votion and A.-C. Francois.