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  Discussion on Research Summary: Blood tests for osteochonDrOsis (OC)
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Posted on Wednesday, Feb 6, 2008 - 10:28 am:

Could this be true? The research summarizes that there are now blood tests that can identify individuals that are at risk for lameness from OC. The test is said to be commercially available and measures the concentration of bone alkaline phosphatase. Decreased concentrations of BAP in the serum (<30U/L) were predictive of OC injury and the lower the value the worse the OC was on radiographs and when directly viewed arthroscopically.

I think more work needs to be done if only to confirm these findings but other important questions would be to check to see if this is true of OC from other joints, and also the effects of prior treatments and the use of nutraceuticals on the test results needs exploration. The only commercially available test I can find on the Internet is:

Arup Laboratory
Test: Bone Specific Alkaline Phosphatase
Test Mnemonic: BSAP
Methodology: Chemiluminescent Immunoassay
Performed: Sun-Sat
Reported: Within 24 hours
Specimen Required: Collect: One 4 mL SST.
Transport: 0.5 mL serum, frozen. (Min: 0.25 mL) Submit specimen in an ARUP Standard Transport Tube.
Unacceptable Conditions: Plasma. Hemolyzed specimens.
Stability: After separation from cells: Ambient: 2 hours; Refrigerated: 2 days; Frozen: 1 year

I did not see a price however.

Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2007 Dec 24;

Joint dependent concentrations of bone alkaline phosphatase in serum and synovial fluids of horses with osteochondral injury: an analytical and clinical validation.

Trumble TN, Brown MP, Merritt KA, Billinghurst RC.

Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-1432, USA.

OBJECTIVES: Validate use of a commercially available immunoassay for measurement of bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) in equine serum and synovial fluid (SF), and investigate the effects of osteochondral (OC) injury in horses on BAP concentrations in serum and SF. METHODS: SF was collected from 37 joints of 34 Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses undergoing arthroscopic surgery for the removal of OC fragments from either the carpal joints (n=18) or the metacarpal-/metatarsophalangeal (MP) joints (n=19). SF was also obtained from 52 joints of 16 normal TB horses, collected bilaterally from carpal joints of 10 horses (n=40), and MP joints of six horses (n=12). Blood was obtained from all 50 horses. A commercially available immunoassay was validated and subsequently used to determine equine serum and SF BAP concentrations. Correlations to radiographic and arthroscopic scores were assessed. RESULTS: BAP concentrations were significantly lower in serum from horses with OC injury in their carpal or MP joints than in serum from normal horses. SF BAP concentrations in normal and OC injured carpal joints were significantly higher than MP joints. BAP concentrations were significantly higher in SF from OC injured carpal joints than normal. BAP concentrations were affected by joint sampled, with age having a significant interaction. Concentrations of BAP in the serum (<30u/l),>22U/L) and a ratio of SF to serum >/=0.5 were predictive of OC injury. Radiographic and arthroscopic scores significantly correlated with serum BAP concentrations, and SF:serum BAP correlated with arthroscopic scores. CONCLUSIONS: Determination of serum and SF BAP concentrations may be beneficial in the investigation of early joint injury. Joint and injury dependent differences in BAP concentrations allowed the estimation of predictive value for identifying OC injury.
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