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Topic:Antibodies
Antibodies in horses are specialized proteins produced by the immune system in response to foreign substances, known as antigens. These substances can include pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Antibodies function by recognizing and binding to specific antigens, thereby neutralizing them or marking them for destruction by other immune cells. In equine health, antibodies are integral to both natural immune responses and those induced by vaccinations. The study of antibodies in horses encompasses their production, diversity, and role in disease resistance and management. This page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the generation, function, and implications of antibodies in equine immunology and disease control.
Developing a preventive immunization approach against insect bite hypersensitivity using recombinant allergens: A pilot study. Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an allergic dermatitis of horses caused by bites of midges (Culicoides spp.). IgE-mediated reactions are often involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. IBH does not occur in Iceland due to the absence of Culicoides, but it occurs with a high frequency in Icelandic horses exported to mainland Europe, where Culicoides are present. We hypothesize that immunization with the Culicoides allergens before export could reduce the incidence of IBH in exported Icelandic horses. The aim of the present study was therefore to compare intradermal and intralymphatic ...
Local and systemic effect of transfection-reagent formulated DNA vectors on equine melanoma. Equine melanoma has a high incidence in grey horses. Xenogenic DNA vaccination may represent a promising therapeutic approach against equine melanoma as it successfully induced an immunological response in other species suffering from melanoma and in healthy horses. In a clinical study, twenty-seven, grey, melanoma-bearing, horses were assigned to three groups (n = 9) and vaccinated on days 1, 22, and 78 with DNA vectors encoding for equine (eq) IL-12 and IL-18 alone or in combination with either human glycoprotein (hgp) 100 or human tyrosinase (htyr). Horses were vaccinated intramuscularly, a...
A new trivalent SnSAG surface antigen chimera for efficient detection of antibodies against Sarcocystis neurona and diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) based on the SnSAG surface antigens of Sarcocystis neurona provide reliable detection of infection by the parasite. Moreover, accurate serodiagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is achieved with the SnSAG ELISAs by measuring antibodies in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to reveal active infection in the central nervous system. Two independent ELISAs based on recombinant (r)SnSAG2 or a chimeric fusion of SnSAG3 and SnSAG4 (rSnSAG4/3) are currently used together for EPM serodiagnosis to overcome varied antibody responses in different...
scAAVIL-1ra dosing trial in a large animal model and validation of long-term expression with repeat administration for osteoarthritis therapy. A gene therapeutic approach to treat osteoarthritis (OA) appears to be on the horizon for millions of people who suffer from this disease. Previously we described optimization of a scAAVIL-1ra gene therapeutic vector and initially tested this in an equine model verifying long-term intrasynovial IL-1ra protein at therapeutic levels. Using this vector, we carried out a dosing trial in six horses to verify protein levels and establish a dose that would express relevant levels of therapeutic protein for extended periods of time (8 months). A novel arthroscopic procedure used to detect green fluore...
Seroprevalence and Potential Risk Factors Associated with Neospora spp. Infection among Asymptomatic Horses in Jordan. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and to identify risk factors associated with Neospora spp. infection in horses in Jordan. Management related data were collected from each farm and individual horses. Sera from 227 horses from 5 of 6 climatic regions in Jordan were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to Neospora spp. by ELISA kit. The study was performed during spring of 2010. The association between seropositivity and risk factors was analyzed. A total of 7 (3%) of 227 sera had antibodies for Neospora spp. There was a significant regional difference (P=0.018) between the 5 ...
Antibody escape kinetics of equine infectious anemia virus infection of horses. Lentivirus escape from neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) is not well understood. In this work, we quantified antibody escape of a lentivirus, using antibody escape data from horses infected with equine infectious anemia virus. We calculated antibody blocking rates of wild-type virus, fitness costs of mutant virus, and growth rates of both viruses. These quantitative kinetic estimates of antibody escape are important for understanding lentiviral control by antibody neutralization and in developing NAb-eliciting vaccine strategies.
Equine allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells elicit antibody responses in vivo. This study tested the hypothesis that Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) incompatible equine mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) would induce cytotoxic antibodies to donor MHC antigens in recipient horses after intradermal injection. No studies to date have explored recipient antibody responses to allogeneic donor MSC transplantation in the horse. This information is critical because the horse is a valuable species for assessing the safety and efficacy of MSC treatment prior to human clinical application. Methods: Six MHC heterozygote horses were identified as non-ELA-A2 haplotype by microsat...
Serological evidence of equine influenza infections among persons with horse exposure, Iowa. Equine influenza virus (EIV) is considered enzootic in North America and experimental studies have documented human EIV infections. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined 94 horse-exposed and 34 non-exposed controls for serological evidence of EIV infection. Sera were evaluated for antibodies against three EIV and two human H3N2 viruses using microneutralization (MN), neuraminidase inhibition (NI), enzyme-linked lectin (ELLA), and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) serological assays. Risk factor analyses were conducted using logistic regression and proportional odds modeling. Results: The...
Effect of incubation temperature on the diagnostic sensitivity of the glanders complement fixation test. The complement fixation test (CFT) is the only serological test prescribed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) for the diagnosis of glanders in international trading of equids. However, false-positive reactions have caused financial losses to the animal owners in the past, and false-negative tests have resulted in the introduction of glanders into healthy equine populations in previously glanders-free areas. Both warm (incubation at 37°C for 1 h) and cold (overnight incubation at 4°C) procedures are recommended by the OIE for serodiagnosis of glanders. In a comparison of the se...
Serodiagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection in farm animals (horses, swine, and sheep) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using chimeric antigens. Toxoplasma gondii infects all warm-blooded animals including humans, causing serious public health problems and great economic loss in the animal husbandry. Commonly used serological tests for diagnosis of toxoplasmosis involve preparation of whole Toxoplasma lysate antigen (TLA) from tachyzoites. The production of this antigen is associated with high costs and lengthy preparation and the possibility of staff infection. There are also some difficulties in the standardization of such tests. One approach in order to improve the diagnosis of T. gondii infection is to use recombinant chimeric anti...
Serum antibody immunoreactivity to equine zona protein after SpayVac vaccination. Immunocontraception with porcine ZP (pZP) can be an effective means of fertility control in feral horses. Previous studies suggest that antibodies produced after pZP vaccination may both inhibit fertilization and cause follicular dysgenesis. Zonastat-H, PZP-22, and SpayVac are three pZP vaccines proposed for use in horses. Although all these vaccines contain the pZP antigen, variations in antigen preparation and vaccine formulation lead to differences in antigenic properties among them. Likewise, despite numerous efficacy and safety studies of Zonastat-H and PZP-22, the contraceptive mechanism...
High seroprevelance of West Nile virus antibodies observed in horses from southwestern Nigeria. To investigate exposure of Nigerian horses to West Nile virus (WNV), we determined the seroprevalence rate of anti-WNV antibody in a cohort of 145 horses. Serum samples were collected from three locations in southwestern Nigeria between October, 2011, and July, 2012. The horses were asymptomatic and unvaccinated against WNV at the time of sampling. All sera were tested using a competition enzyme-linked immmunosorbent assay (ELISA) and by an immunoglobulin M (IgM)-specific ELISA. High rates of anti-WNV antibody prevalence were observed in all locations with a mean level of 90.3% (95% confidence...
Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora spp. Infections in Arab Horses, Southwest of Iran. Because of the economic importance of the Arab race horses and also the role of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora spp. in abortion and reproductive failure of these animals, we decided to perform this study. Objective: We designed this study to investigate the seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Neospora spp. antibodies in Arab horses from 12 cities of Khuzestan province in southwest of Iran. Methods: From October 2009 to March 2011, a total of 235 blood samples were collected from jugular veins of Arab horses of different ages and genders from 12 cities of Khuzestan province. All t...
Occurrence of West Nile virus antibodies in wild birds, horses, and humans in Poland. Serum samples of 474 wild birds, 378 horses, and 42 humans with meningitis and lymphocytic meningitis were collected between 2010 and 2014 from different areas of Poland. West Nile virus (WNV) antibodies were detected using competition enzyme linked immunosorbent assays: ELISA-1 ID Screen West Nile Competition, IDvet, ELISA-2 ID Screen West Nile IgM Capture, and ELISA-3 Ingezim West Nile Compac. The antibodies were found in 63 (13.29%) out of 474 wild bird serum samples and in one (0.26%) out of 378 horse serum samples. Fourteen (33.33%) out of 42 sera from patients were positive against WNV a...
Effective equine immunization protocol for production of potent poly-specific antisera against Calloselasma rhodostoma, Cryptelytrops albolabris and Daboia siamensis. Snake envenomation has been estimated to affect 1.8 million people annually with about 94,000 deaths mostly in poor tropical countries. Specific antivenoms are the only rational and effective therapy for these cases. Efforts are being made to produce effective, affordable and sufficient antivenoms for these victims. The immunization process, which has rarely been described in detail, is one step that needs to be rigorously studied and improved especially with regard to the production of polyspecific antisera. The polyspecific nature of therapeutic antivenom could obviate the need to identify t...
Nonstrangulating intestinal infarction associated with Strongylus vulgaris in referred Danish equine cases. Strongylus vulgaris is a pathogenic helminth parasite infecting horses and was once considered to be the primary cause of colic. Migrating larvae cause ischaemia and infarction of intestinal segments. This knowledge is derived from case reports and experimental inoculations of parasite-naïve foals, and it remains unknown to what extent the parasite is associated with different types of colic. Objective: To evaluate the role of S. vulgaris as a risk factor for different types of colic in horses. Methods: A retrospective case-control study among horses referred with abdominal pain to the Univ...
The efficacy of ELISA commercial kits for the screening of equine infectious anemia virus infection. The most used and reliable indicator of Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) infection is the detection of its specific antibodies in horse serum. In the present study, the performance of two commercial ELISA tests for the detection of EIAV antibodies as well as the potential advantages of their use as an EIAV infection screening tool were evaluated in 302 horse serum samples. Both ELISA assays showed 100% diagnostic sensitivity, and 92.3-94.3% diagnostic specificity. Discordant results were analyzed by immunoblot. The results showed that both ELISA tests are very efficient at detecting EIAV ...
A case of Murray Valley encephalitis in a 2-year-old Australian Stock Horse in south-east Queensland. This report summarises the findings from a case of naturally-occurring Murray Valley encephalitis in a 2-year-old filly presenting with acute onset of depression and weakness. Serum samples tested at the onset of clinical signs were negative for Hendra and Kunjin virus antibodies, but positive for Murray Valley encephalitis virus (MVEV) using IgM-capture ELISA (1 : 300 dilution). A virus neutralisation assay performed 4 weeks later confirmed a titre of 1 : 160. Sera collected in the weeks preceding neurological signs returned a negative titre for MVEV 2 weeks prior followed by a titre ...
Humoral and cell-mediated immune response, and growth factor synthesis after direct intraarticular injection of rAAV2-IGF-I and rAAV5-IGF-I in the equine middle carpal joint. Intraarticular (IA) administration of viral vectors expressing a therapeutic transgene is an attractive treatment modality for osteoarthritis (OA) as the joint can be treated as a contained unit. Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses in vivo can limit vector effectiveness. Transduction of articular tissues has been investigated; however, the immune response to IA vectors remains largely unknown. We hypothesized that IA rAAV2 and rAAV5 overexpressing insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) would result in long-term IGF-I formation but would also induce neutralizing antibodies (NAb) and anti-c...
Development of a Microsphere-based Immunoassay for Serological Detection of African Horse Sickness Virus and Comparison with Other Diagnostic Techniques. African horse sickness (AHS) is a viral disease that causes high morbidity and mortality rates in susceptible Equidae and therefore significant economic losses. More rapid, sensitive and specific assays are required by diagnostic laboratories to support effective surveillance programmes. A novel microsphere-based immunoassay (Luminex assay) in which beads are coated with recombinant AHS virus (AHSV) structural protein 7 (VP7) has been developed for serological detection of antibodies against VP7 of any AHSV serotype. The performance of this assay was compared with that of a commercial enzyme-l...
Equine sperm-neutrophil binding. When mares are inseminated repeatedly, protein molecules from the seminal plasma (SP) prevent sperm-neutrophil binding and reduced fertility. The molecule(s) responsible for sperm-neutrophil binding is not known and the identification of beneficial SP proteins is complicated by their large numbers and abundant variation. We examined several important aspects of sperm-neutrophil binding to ultimately facilitate the identification and isolation of the molecule(s) responsible. First, we raised anti-equine P-selectin antibodies to determine the involvement of this adhesion molecule in sperm-neutro...
West Nile Virus Infection in Horses: Detection by Immunohistochemistry, In Situ Hybridization, and ELISA. This study describes the clinicopathologic findings in naturally occurring West Nile virus (WNV) infection in horses. WNV was diagnosed in a foal by immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization methods, and the presence of WNV antibodies was detected in 5 other horses with clinical signs suggestive of WNV infection. At necropsy of the foal, lymph nodes were edematous and enlarged, and the intestines showed diffuse congestion and focal hemorrhages. The most significant histologic lesions in this case were nonsuppurative meningoencephalomyelitis, particularly in the brainstem and spinal cord. I...
Novel monoclonal antibody against alphaX subunit from horse CD11c/CD18 integrin. The αX I-domain of the horse integrin CD11c was successfully expressed in Escherichia coli, purified, biochemically characterized and used as immunogen to generate murine monoclonal antibodies against horse CD11c, which are not yet commercially available. One monoclonal antibody mAb-1C4 against the αX I-domain, is an IgG2a able to interact with the recombinant I-domain, showing an EC50=2.4ng according to ELISA assays. By western blot with horse PBMCs lysates the mAb-1C4 recognized a protein of 150kDa which corresponds well with the CD11c molecule. Using immunohistochemistry in horse lymph no...
Freedom from equine infectious anaemia virus infection in Spanish Purebred horses. No cases of equine infectious anaemia (EIA) have been reported in Spain since 1983. Factors that could increase the risk of reintroducing equine infectious anaemia virus (EIAV) into Spain include the recent occurrence of the disease in Europe and the absence of compulsory serological testing before importation into Spain. Objective: Given the importance of the Spanish Purebred (SP) horse breeding industry in Spain, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to provide evidence of freedom from EIAV in SP stud farms in Central Spain. Methods: Serum samples from 555 SP horses, collected between Se...
Emergence of Equine West Nile Encephalitis in Central Macedonia, Greece, 2010. During the summer of 2010, an outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) infections attributed to a lineage 2 WNV strain was reported among humans and horses in Central Macedonia, Northern Greece. Here, the clinical and laboratory investigation of horses that showed severe neurological signs due to WNV infection is being described. Specifically, between August and September 2010, 17 horses with neurological signs were detected. WNV infection was confirmed in all 17 clinical cases by applying laboratory testing. The duration of WNV-specific IgM antibodies in sera obtained from seven of the clinically af...
Occurrence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii and its isolation and genotyping in donkeys, mules, and horses in Brazil. The occurrence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii was determined in donkeys, mules, and horses from different regions of Brazil. Serum samples from 304 donkeys (67.11%), 118 horses (26.05%), and 31 mules (6.84%) were analyzed by means of the indirect fluorescent antibody test (cutoff=64). Antibodies against T. gondii were detected in 129 equids (28.47%) (82 donkeys, 32 horses, and 15 mules). Tissue samples from 19 seropositive and 50 seronegative animals were obtained in order to isolate the parasite by means of mouse bioassay, and T. gondii was isolated from a donkey. Through genotypic c...
Neutralising antibodies for Mayaro virus in Pantanal, Brazil. The Pantanal hosts diverse wildlife species and therefore is a hotspot for arbovirus studies in South America. A serosurvey for Mayaro virus (MAYV), eastern (EEEV), western (WEEV) and Venezuelan (VEEV) equine encephalitis viruses was conducted with 237 sheep, 87 free-ranging caimans and 748 equids, including 37 collected from a ranch where a neurologic disorder outbreak had been recently reported. Sera were tested for specific viral antibodies using plaque-reduction neutralisation test. From a total of 748 equids, of which 264 were immunised with vaccine composed of EEEV and WEEV and 484 had n...
Antiserum from mice vaccinated with modified vaccinia Ankara virus expressing African horse sickness virus (AHSV) VP2 provides protection when it is administered 48h before, or 48h after challenge. Previous studies show that a recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) virus expressing VP2 of AHSV serotype 4 (MVA-VP2) induced virus neutralising antibodies in horses and protected interferon alpha receptor gene knock-out mice (IFNAR -/-) against challenge. Follow up experiments indicated that passive transfer of antiserum, from MVA-VP2 immune donors to recipient mice 1h before challenge, conferred complete clinical protection and significantly reduced viraemia. These studies have been extended to determine the protective effect of MVA-VP2 vaccine-induced antiserum, when administered 48h be...
Virological and serological investigation of Equid herpesvirus 1 infection in New Zealand. Infection with equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) may be asymptomatic, or may result in respiratory disease, abortion, neonatal death, or neurological disease. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of EHV-1 infection, including differentiation between genotypes with aspartic acid (D) and asparagine (N) at position 752 of the DNA polymerase sequence, within a selected population of New Zealand horses. The second aim was to determine the predictive value of serology for detection of latently infected horses. Retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RLN) and trigeminal ganglia (TG) were dissected fro...
VapA-specific IgG and IgG subclasses responses after natural infection and experimental challenge of foals with Rhodococcus equi. Rhodococcus equi is a common cause of pneumonia in young foals worldwide and has considerable economic effects on the global equine industry. Despite ongoing efforts, no vaccine is currently available to prevent rhodococaal pneumonia. This is due, in part, to an incomplete understanding of the protective immune response to this bacterium. While antibodies to VapA, a lipoprotein produced by virulent R. equi, are useful in differentiating antibody production in response to pathogenic versus non-pathogenic strains, the significance of the humoral response of foals to this lipoprotein remains poor...
