Topic:Allergies
Allergies in horses are immune-mediated responses to environmental antigens, such as pollen, dust, mold, food, or insect bites, that result in hypersensitivity reactions. These reactions can manifest as respiratory issues, skin conditions, or gastrointestinal disturbances, impacting the horse's overall health and performance. Common allergic conditions in horses include recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), urticaria, and insect bite hypersensitivity. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of equine allergies is crucial for developing effective management and treatment strategies. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of allergies in horses, as well as their impact on equine welfare and performance.
Co-reactivity between related and unrelated environmental allergens in equine allergen-specific IgE serology testing in the UK. Identification of environmental allergens in horses with allergic disease facilitates allergen avoidance and targeted immunotherapy. Objective: To evaluate allergenic co-reactivity between 44 environmental allergens. Methods: Horses with suspected allergic disease (n = 344) whose sera were submitted for environmental allergen testing. Methods: Allergen-specific IgE serological assays were performed using 44 allergens divided into six taxonomically related groups: house dust/storage mites, moulds, insects, grass, tree and weed pollens. Using pairwise comparisons, odds ratios (ORs) were calcul...
Comparison of three clinical scoring systems for Culicoides hypersensitivity in a herd of Icelandic horses. Culicoides hypersensitivity (CH), an intensely pruritic and seasonal allergic dermatitis, is a common allergic disease affecting horses worldwide. Currently, there is no validated clinical scoring system for the quantification of clinical signs associated with CH. Objective: To (i) determine the best cut-off point of three scoring systems, (ii) test the accuracy of each system when compared to the clinical diagnosis of an experienced veterinarian and (iii) assess agreement between systems. Methods: Icelandic horses (n = 20); eight with CH and 12 unaffected, from a research herd receiving no ...
[Is summer eczema predictable in imported Icelandic horses?]. Torsteinsdottir S, Scheidegger S, Baselgia S et al. A prospective study on insect bite hypersensitivity in horses exported from Iceland into Switzerland. Acta Vet Scand 2018; 60: 69 BEIM SOMMEREKZEM HANDELT ES SICH UM EINE IGE-VERMITTELTE DERMATITIS INFOLGE EINER ALLERGISCHEN REAKTION AUF DEN SPEICHEL STECHENDER INSEKTEN (Z. B. CULICOIDES SPP.). BIS ZU 50 % DER AUS ISLAND NACH KONTINENTALEUROPA IMPORTIERTEN TIERE ERKRANKEN, DAGEGEN NUR 3–10 % DER AUF DEM FESTLAND GEBORENEN ISLäNDER. IN ISLAND GIBT ES DIE ERKRANKUNG NICHT, DA DIE VERURSACHENDEN GNITZEN DORT NICHT VORKOMMEN. HAT EINE SENSIBIL...
Development of a comprehensive protein microarray for immunoglobulin E profiling in horses with severe asthma. Severe asthma in horses, known as severe equine asthma (SEA), is a prevalent, performance-limiting disease associated with increased allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) against a range of environmental aeroallergens. Objective: To develop a protein microarray platform to profile IgE against a range of proven and novel environmental proteins in SEA-affected horses. Methods: Six SEA-affected and 6 clinically healthy Warmblood performance horses. Methods: Developed a protein microarray (n = 384) using protein extracts and purified proteins from a large number of families including pollen, ba...
[Equestrian related injuries and pathologies]. Equestrian sports are widely practiced in Switzerland as hobbies. Horses are imposing and unpredictable. As a result, traumatisms associated with horseback riding are common and cause serious injuries. Cranial traumatisms are among the most frequently encountered injuries and are associated with high rates of hospitalization and mortality. Helmet use decreases the severity of intracranial lesions. Close contact with horses can lead to the development of infectious diseases and respiratory allergies. Although infrequent in Europe, these infections occur sporadically and should be known by gener...
Genomic Regions Associated with IgE Levels against Culicoides spp. Antigens in Three Horse Breeds. Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), which is a cutaneous allergic reaction to antigens from Culicoides spp., is the most prevalent skin disorder in horses. Misdiagnosis is possible, as IBH is usually diagnosed based on clinical signs. Our study is the first to employ IgE levels against several recombinant Culicoides spp. allergens as an objective, independent, and quantitative phenotype to improve the power to detect genetic variants that underlie IBH. Genotypes of 200 Shetland ponies, 127 Icelandic horses, and 223 Belgian Warmblood horses were analyzed while using a mixed model approach. No s...
Effects of allergen-specific immunotherapy on peripheral blood regulatory T cells and serum concentrations of cytokines and immunoglobulins in horses with allergic dermatitis. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) on the immunological responses of horses. Blood samples were taken from thirty-two horses with allergic dermatitis treated with ASIT and 10 healthy control horses at 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months to investigate the evolution of the percentage of regulatory T cells (Treg) in the peripheral blood and the serum levels of cytokines and immunoglobulins. Clinical improvement was appreciated by the majority of the horses' owners (56.6%). No effect of ASIT on CD4CD25 Treg cells was found during the one year treatment...
Immunomodulatory asthma therapy in the equine animal model: A dose-response study and evaluation of a long-term effect. Equine asthma represents a naturally occurring animal model for human allergic neutrophilic asthma. Inhalative nanoparticle-bound cytosine-phosphate-guanosine (CpG-GNP) immunotherapy, independent of specific allergens, has already shown promising clinical and immunological results in previous studies and offers the possibility to treat the underlying cause of the disease. This study analyses the relationship between dose and response, and evaluates a possible long-term effect. In the prospective, randomised, double-blind clinical field study, 29 horses suffering from equine asthma received 10 ...
Assessment of serum allergen-specific IgE levels in horses with seasonal allergic dermatitis and recurrent airway obstruction in Spain. Allergic conditions are prevalent equine diseases that can be diagnosed by clinical examination alone, but definitive diagnosis is more likely with laboratory testing. The ELISA Allercept© test was used to analyse the serum samples of 73 horses with allergic diseases. Sixty-one horses (83.5%) had allergen-specific IgE levels ≥ 150 ELISA Units (EU), the cut-off defined by the assay. Fifty-four horses had allergic dermatitis (AD) with high IgE levels to Tyrophagus putrescentiae (51.9%), Rumex crispus (48.1%), Tabanus (46.3%) and Dermatophagoides farinae/ D. pteronyssinus (40.7%). Seven horses...
Insights into animal models for cell-based therapies in translational studies of lung diseases: Is the horse with naturally occurring asthma the right choice? Human asthma is a widespread disease associated with chronic inflammation of the airways, leading to loss of quality of life, disability and death. Corticosteroid administration is the mainstream treatment for asthmatic patients. Corticosteroids reduce airway obstruction and improve quality of life, although symptoms persist despite treatment in many patients. Moreover, available therapies failed to reverse the lung pathology present in asthma. Animal models, mostly rats and mice, in which the disease is experimentally induced, have been studied to identify new therapeutic targets for human as...
Pollens destroy respiratory epithelial cell anchors and drive alphaherpesvirus infection. Pollens are well-known triggers of respiratory allergies and asthma. The pollen burden in today's ambient air is constantly increasing due to rising climate change and air pollution. How pollens interact with the respiratory mucosa remains largely unknown due to a lack of representative model systems. We here demonstrate how pollen proteases of Kentucky bluegrass, white birch and hazel selectively destroy integrity and anchorage of columnar respiratory epithelial cells, but not of basal cells, in both ex vivo respiratory mucosal explants and in vitro primary equine respiratory epithelial cells...
Longitudinal evaluation of immunological responses to allergen-specific immunotherapy in horses with IgE associated dermatological disease, a pilot study. The long-term effects of allergen specific immunotherapy (ASIT) on concentrations of circulating immunoglobulin E (IgE) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) in horses have not been reported. Objective: To document changes in clinical severity of horses with atopic dermatitis (AD) and to monitor allergen-specific IgE and IgG concentrations during a two-year course of ASIT. Methods: Nineteen client-owned horses with a conditional diagnosis of AD. Methods: Three ASIT groups were randomly assigned based upon results obtained by either intradermal testing (IDT) for regional allergens (n = 7); enzyme-linked...
Levels of horse allergen Equ c 4 in dander and saliva from ten horse breeds. Horses are an important source of allergens, but the distribution of horse allergens is poorly understood. Five horse allergens have been identified, Equ c 1-4 and 6. Equ c 4 seems to be an important allergen, with an IgE-binding frequency of 77% in horse-sensitized individuals. The aim of this study was to investigate levels of horse allergen Equ c 4 in dander, saliva and urine from ten horse breeds. The study population included 170 horses (87 mares, 27 stallions, 56 geldings) from ten breeds. Horse dander, saliva and urine samples were collected. Levels of horse allergen Equ c 4 were quanti...
A cream containing omega-3-fatty acids, humectants and emollients as an aid in the treatment of equine Culicoides hypersensitivity. Topical application of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has shown satisfactory results in dogs and humans with allergic skin diseases. Urea and glycolic acid act as keratolytics and moisturizers. Culicoides hypersensitivity is the most common equine hypersensitivity disorder and only limited treatment options exist. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a cream containing topical PUFAs, humectants and emollients on clinical signs of equine Culicoides hypersensitivity. Methods: Privately owned horses (n = 28) with clinical signs of Culicoides hypersensitivity. Methods: For a period of four ...
A Comparison of Intradermal Skin Testing and Serum Insect Allergen-specific IgE Determination in Horses With Insect Bite Hypersensitivity From 2008 to 2016. New techniques in equine veterinary allergy testing include multiple allergen simultaneous tests (MASTs) that cover insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), respiratory and atopic allergic diseases. The in vivo intradermal test (IDT) method is one of the most widely used techniques in veterinary practice, but recently, in vitro methods have been introduced as possible alternatives. This study was designed to assess the correlation between IDTs and MASTs based on IgE determination in serum. The study was performed on Malopolski breed horses with IBH (n = 26). IDTs were performed, and allergen-spe...
Lower allergen levels in hypoallergenic Curly Horses? A comparison among breeds by measurements of horse allergens in hair and air samples. Exposure to horses can cause severe allergic reactions in sensitized individuals. The breed, American Bashkir Curly Horse is categorized as hypoallergenic, primarily due to reports of allergic patients experiencing fewer symptoms while handling this special breed. The possible reasons for this phenomenon could be lower allergen production and/or reduced allergen release into the air because of increased sebum content in their skin and hair compared to other breeds. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to compare different horse breeds in relation to allergen content in hair and airborne...
Allergen-specific immunoglobulin E in sera of horses affected with insect bite hypersensitivity, severe equine asthma or both conditions. Genetic, epidemiologic, and clinical evidence suggests that, in horses, there are manifestations of hypersensitivity that can occur together. Objective: To investigate whether concurrent insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) and severe equine asthma (EA) is associated with higher allergen-specific and total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentrations than only EA or IBH. Methods: Healthy control horses (C, n = 40), horses with IBH (IBH, n = 24), severe EA (EA, n = 18), and both conditions (IBH/EA, n = 23) were included. Methods: In our retrospective comparative study, sera from ho...
Active vaccination against interleukin-5 as long-term treatment for insect-bite hypersensitivity in horses. Insect-bite hypersensitivity (IBH) in horses is a chronic allergic dermatitis caused by insect bites. Horses suffer from pruritic skin lesions, caused by type-I/type-IV allergic reactions accompanied by prominent eosinophil infiltration into the skin. Interleukin-5 (IL-5) is the key cytokine for eosinophils and we have previously shown that targeting IL-5 by vaccination reduces disease symptoms in horses. Here, we analyzed the potential for long-term therapy by assessing a second follow-up year of the previously published study. The vaccine consisted of equine IL-5 (eIL-5) covalently linked to...
The influence of hay steaming on clinical signs and airway immune response in severe asthmatic horses. Avoidance of antigenic stimuli was found to significantly reverse airway obstruction of horses with severe equine asthma (sEA). To date, no published study investigated the influence of steaming hay on lower airway condition of sEA-affected horses. The objectives were to determine the clinical, cytological and cytokine respiratory responses of both sEA and control (CTL) horses experimentally exposed to steamed or dry hay. Results: A cohort of 6 sEA horses and 6 CTL horses was involved in this field study. On day 0, both groups were fed with steamed hay for 5 consecutive days, followed by a was...
A prospective study on insect bite hypersensitivity in horses exported from Iceland into Switzerland. Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an IgE-mediated dermatitis caused by bites of Culicoides spp., which occurs frequently in horses imported from Iceland to continental Europe. IBH does not occur in Iceland because Culicoides species that bite horses are not present. However, Simulium vittatum (S. vittatum) are found in Iceland. In Europe, blood basophils from IBH-affected horses release significantly more sulfidoleukotrienes (sLT) than those from healthy controls after in vitro stimulation with Culicoides nubeculosus (C. nubeculosus) and S. vittatum. Aims of the study were: (I) using the s...
Companion animals and human health: benefits, challenges, and the road ahead for human-animal interaction. There is ample evidence that human-animal interaction (HAI) is associated with health. Studies encompass three general categories: those that compare companion animal owners with individuals who do not own companion animals, those examining brief, 'one-off' contacts with animals, and those that review animal-assisted interventions. The health benefits demonstrated typically include reductions in depression and loneliness, while enhancing social interaction or social skills, and decreasing anxiety and arousal. Other health benefits associated with companion animals include the promotion of exer...
Long-term management of horses with atopic dermatitis in southeastern England: a retrospective questionnaire study of owners’ perceptions. Allergic pruritus and urticaria in the horse are challenging for veterinarians and owners; little is known about their long-term management. Objective: To summarize intradermal allergen test results (IDT), and to assess owners' perceptions of skin disease and the effects of medical treatment and management changes in their atopic horses over time. Methods: Eighty two horses with atopic dermatitis in southeastern England between 2006 and 2011. Methods: The IDT results were reviewed retrospectively. Owners completed telephone questionnaires on skin changes, medication, effect of allergen-specifi...
Copy number variations in Friesian horses and genetic risk factors for insect bite hypersensitivity. Many common and relevant diseases affecting equine welfare have yet to be tested regarding structural variants such as copy number variations (CNVs). CNVs make up a substantial proportion of total genetic variability in populations of many species, resulting in more sequence differences between individuals than SNPs. Associations between CNVs and disease phenotypes have been established in several species, but equine CNV studies have been limited. Aim of this study was to identify CNVs and to perform a genome-wide association (GWA) study in Friesian horses to identify genomic loci associated w...
Effect of antigen challenge on dynamics of CD62P and CD41/61 expression on platelets in horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), also known as heaves, is an allergic respiratory condition that develops in horses following an exposure to aeroallergens in hay and straw. This is manifested by airway hyperreactivity, inflammation, bronchoconstriction, as well as a leukocyte and platelet infiltration into the airways. Platelet activation and an increase in circulating platelet-leukocyte aggregates may lead to airway remodeling. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of seven-day antigen challenge on dynamics of platelet indices and CD41/61 and CD62 P expression on platelets in h...
Allergen immunotherapy in people, dogs, cats and horses – differences, similarities and research needs. In human patients with seasonal allergic rhinoconjunctivitis sensitized to grass pollen, the first successful allergen immunotherapy (AIT) was reported in 1911. Today, immunotherapy is an accepted treatment for allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis and hypersensitivities to insect venom. AIT is also used for atopic dermatitis and recently for food allergy. Subcutaneous, epicutaneous, intralymphatic, oral and sublingual protocols of AIT exist. In animals, most data are available in dogs where subcutaneous AIT is an accepted treatment for atopic dermatitis. Initiating a regulatory response and a pr...
Barley produced Culicoides allergens are suitable for monitoring the immune response of horses immunized with E. coli expressed allergens. Insect bite hypersensitivity is an allergic dermatitis of horses caused by bites of Culicoides midges. Sufficient amount of pure, endotoxin-free allergens is a prerequisite for development and monitoring of preventive and therapeutic allergen immunotherapy. Aims of the study were to compare the Culicoides nubeculosus (Cul n) allergens Cul n 3 and Cul n 4, produced in transgenic barley grains with the corresponding E. coli or insect cells expressed proteins for measuring antibody and cytokine responses. Allergen-specific IgG responses were measured by ELISA in sera from twelve horses not expose...
Treating insect-bite hypersensitivity in horses with active vaccination against IL-5. Insect-bite hypersensitivity is the most common allergic dermatitis in horses. Excoriated skin lesions are typical symptoms of this seasonal and refractory chronic disease. On a cellular level, the skin lesions are characterized by massive eosinophil infiltration caused by an underlying allergic response. To target these cells and treat disease, we developed a therapeutic vaccine against equine IL-5 (eIL-5), the master regulator of eosinophils. The vaccine consisted of eIL-5 covalently linked to a virus-like particle derived from cucumber mosaic virus containing the tetanus toxoid universal T-...
Comparison of serum concentrations of environmental allergen-specific IgE in atopic and healthy (nonatopic) horses. Allergic responses in humans, horses and other species are mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. Serum testing to detect allergen-specific IgE antibodies has been developed for dogs, cats and horses; this allows for the identification of allergens and determination of appropriate allergen- specific immunotherapies. This study compared serum allergen-specific IgE concentrations in atopic and healthy horses. The study was performed on Malopolski breed atopic (n=21) and nonatopic (n=21) clinically healthy horses. Allergen-specific IgE serum concentrations were measured in summer seasons ...
Molecular allergen profiling in horses by microarray reveals Fag e 2 from buckwheat as a frequent sensitizer. Companion animals are also affected by IgE-mediated allergies, but the eliciting molecules are largely unknown. We aimed at refining an allergen microarray to explore sensitization in horses and compare it to the human IgE reactivity profiles. Methods: Custom-designed allergen microarray was produced on the basis of the ImmunoCAP ISAC technology containing 131 allergens. Sera from 51 horses derived from Europe or Japan were tested for specific IgE reactivity. The included horse patients were diagnosed for eczema due to insect bite hypersensitivity, chronic coughing, recurrent airway obstructio...