Hormones, growth factors and other plasma variables in relation to osteochondrosis.

Osteochondrosis (OC) is a multifactorial disorder with endocrinological dysfunction and mineral imbalance having a role in pathogenesis. The present study focused on a possible relationship between insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II), parathyroid hormone (PTH), 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), cortisol, copper, zinc, calcium, ionised calcium, magnesium and phosphorus and 5 different postmortem and radiographical osteochondrosis scores of hock and stifle joints in foals age 0-11 months. Osteochondrosis-positive foals showed a significantly lower IGF-I activity than osteochondrosis-negative foals. PTH, 1,25(OH)2D, cortisol, copper, zinc and calcium also showed significant differences between osteochondrosis-positive and osteochondrosis-negative foals.