The immune response in horses involves a complex network of cells, tissues, and molecules that work together to protect the animal from pathogens and other harmful agents. This process includes both innate and adaptive immune mechanisms. Innate immunity provides the first line of defense and involves components such as physical barriers, phagocytic cells, and the complement system. Adaptive immunity, on the other hand, is characterized by the activation of lymphocytes and the production of antibodies, which provide a targeted response to specific antigens. Key components of the equine immune system include T cells, B cells, and various cytokines that facilitate communication between immune cells. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the mechanisms, regulation, and implications of immune responses in equine health.
Anderson GS, Belton P, Kleider N.Culicoides hypersensitivity is a chronic, recurrent, seasonal dermatitis of horses that has a worldwide distribution, but has only recently been reported in Canada. It is characterized by intense pruritus resulting in lesions associated with self-induced trauma.A survey of veterinarians and horse-owners in British Columbia showed no differences in susceptibility due to the sex, color, breed, or height of the horses. The prevalence of the disease in the 209 horses surveyed was 26%. Horses sharing the same pasture could be unaffected. The disease was reported primarily from southwestern British ...
Muhktar MM, Timoney JF.Streptococcus equi infection in horses is characterised by intense infiltration of lymph nodes by polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) suggesting a potent chemotactic response to the organism or its products. Equine PMNs were separated using Ficoll-Hypaque medium and used in an assay of chemotaxis under agarose to study the components of S equi involved in this response. Results showed that complement-derived chemotactic factors generated by activation of the alternative complement pathway were important in chemotactic responses to S equi. Both whole bacteria and peptidoglycan preparations were...
Pycock JF, Allen WE.Streptococcal endometritis was induced experimentally in pony mares during oestrus. Uterine fluid was collected 30, 60, 120 or 240 minutes later and tested for its effect on the in vitro morphology and chemotaxis of equine neutrophils by two independent methods. The maximal response occurred between 30 and 60 minutes after infection and persisted until 240 minutes. The chemo-attractant contained both heat labile and heat stable components and the latter appeared to be active at low concentrations.
Liu IK.Uterine defense against infection in the mare has been actively investigated over the past decade. Mechanisms of defense, including the role of immunoglobulins, polymorphonuclear neutrophils, and the physical ability of mares to eliminate bacteria from the uterus, are discussed.
Niebauer GW, Wolf B, Yarmush M, Richardson DW.Thirty-one horses with secondary osteoarthritis as a sequel of trauma (chip fractures) or osteochondritis dissecans were screened for immune complexes (IC) and anticollagen antibodies. Eighty-two percent of horses with joint disease had circulating C1q-binding IC; 77% of those horses had IC in synovial fluids of affected joints. Although only a few horses had anticollagen type-II antibodies, anticollagen type-I antibodies were found in sera of 25% of the horses and in 41% of their synovial fluids. This correlated well with the clinical data and suggested that antibodies might have been elicite...
Bailey E, Albright DG, Henney PJ.Foals with the Ca blood group antigen on their RBC were given colostrum with anti-Ca antibodies (6 foals) or colostrum without anti-Ca antibodies (6 foals). The PCV were determined at birth and 2, 4, and 6 days after birth for the foals in each group. Significant differences were not observed for the PCV between the 2 groups, indicating that foals were not adversely affected by ingesting colostrum with the anti-Ca antibody. Standardbred mares without the Aa blood group antigen were evaluated to determine whether production of anti-Ca antibodies influenced production of anti-Aa antibodies. Of 2...
Perryman LE, O'Rourke KI, McGuire TC.Six normal and four immunodeficient horses were injected with a cloned variant of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV). The six normal horses had detectable EIAV in their plasma by 7 days postinjection. During their primary viremic episode, which was accompanied by fever and anemia, maximum titers of EIAV in plasma ranged from 10(3.8) to 10(4.8) 50% tissue culture infective doses per ml. All six normal horses cleared detectable virus from their plasma by 21 to 35 days after injection. Horses with combined immunodeficiency became viremic by 9 days postinjection and also developed anemia. In co...
Martin RG, Penhale WJ, Williamson P.The influx of protein and polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) into the uterine lumen was examined at different intervals after intrauterine infusion of fluids. The intrauterine infusion of both phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and a solution of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) derived from Escherichia coli resulted in a biphasic influx of protein in the uterine flushings peaking three and six hours after infusion. LPS infusion caused an additional influx of protein at 24 hours. The initial influx of protein preceded a biphasic influx of PMN which peaked six and 24 hours after both infusions. Uterine flu...
Pycock JF, Allen WE, Porter DJ, Boyd EH.Two independent assay systems were used to study the effect of three antibacterial preparations on in vitro morphology and chemotaxis of equine neutrophils. Incubation of neutrophils with high (200 micrograms/ml) and medium (20 micrograms/ml) concentrations of neomycin impaired their response to standard chemoattractants. Trimethoprim/sulfadoxine (0.4/2.0 micrograms/ml-40/200 micrograms/ml) and benzylpenicillin (0.25-25 micrograms/ml) had no effect. Neutrophils collected from geldings 2 and 24 h after neomycin (5 mg/kg) administration had impaired responses to standard chemoattractants. Benzyl...
Baker B, Gaffin SL, Wells M, Wessels BC, Brock-Utne JG.Endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides-LPS) and anti-endotoxin IgG antibodies were measured in racehorses before and after races of 1,000, 2,000 and 2,800 m. Results show that the mean plasma concentration of endotoxin increased significantly (p less than 0.02) while the anti-LPS IgG concentration decreased significantly (p less than 0.005) in all horses following the races. Pre-race and post-race anti-LPS IgG levels in racing-fit racehorses were significantly higher than in untrained horses (p less than 0.05). The possibility therefore exists that training-induced stress leads to leakage of LPS into...
Derksen FJ, Robinson NE, Scott JS, Stick JA.Ponies with recurrent airway obstruction (principal ponies) and their controls were given aerosolized Micropolyspora faeni antigen via endotracheal tube during a period when the principal ponies were in disease remission. In both groups of ponies, we performed bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and measured pulmonary function at base line, and 5 hours after aerosol administration of 30 ml of 0.9% NaCl solution or 30 ml of 1% w/v particulate M faeni antigen in 0.9% NaCl solution. In both groups of ponies, aerosolized M faeni antigen increased WBC count, neutrophil numbers, and albumin concentration i...
Mumford JA, Wood JM, Folkers C, Schild GC.Thirty-one ponies immunized with inactivated virus vaccine containing A/equine/Miami/63 (H3N8) virus and six seronegative ponies were experimentally challenged with the homologous virus strain. All 6 unvaccinated ponies and 11 out of 31 vaccinated ponies became infected. A clear relationship between pre-challenge antibody, measured by single radial haemolysis (SRH), and protection was demonstrated as judged by virus excretion, febrile responses and antibody responses. Those ponies with SRH antibody levels greater than 74 mm2 were completely protected against challenge infection by the intranas...
Madison JB, Scarratt WK.The deposition of immune complexes in the synovial membrane resulted in polysynovitis in 4 foals. All 4 foals had an infection at a site other than the joints. The polysynovitis was characterized by marked effusions of affected joints and joint stiffness. Bacterial and mycoplasmal cultures of the joints did not yield growth. Staining of synovial membrane biopsy specimens with fluorescein-labeled anti-equine IgG revealed immune complexes in the synovial membrane. Immune-mediated polysynovitis might develop in foals with bacterial infections. We propose that deposition of immunoglobulin in the s...
Stokes A, Wardley RC.Immunity to equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) was evaluated using sera collected from yearling horses involved in a trial of a commercial vaccine. Measurement of the ability of these sera to mediate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and complement-dependent lysis revealed that these mechanisms, although potentially important in recovery from EHV-1 infection, do not play a role in protection following vaccination.
Tobin T, Tai HH, Tai CL, Houtz PK, Dai MR, Woods WE, Yang JM, Weckman TJ, Chang SL, Blake JW.We have developed and evaluated a one step enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test for fentanyl as part of a panel of pre- and post-race tests for narcotic analgesics in racing horses. This ELISA test detects fentanyl with an I-50 of about 100 pg/ml. The test is economical in that it can be read with an inexpensive spectrophotometer, or even by eye. The test is rapid, and ten samples, a normal pre-race complement, can be analyzed in about twenty minutes. The test readily detects the presence of fentanyl or its metabolites in equine blood and urine from two and twenty-four hours respecti...
Martens JG, Martens RJ, Renshaw HW.The capacity of hematogenous polymorphonuclear neutrophilic leukocytes (PMNL) to kill Rhodococcus equi was compared in horses of various ages. A radioisotope bactericidal assay was used to determine the capacity of PMNL to kill R equi. Assays were conducted on PMNL from horses in 3 groups: group I, 13 foals with a mean age of 3.3 days; group II, 10 group-I foals at a mean age of 35.7 days; and group III, adult dams of group-I foals. Bacteria were obtained from the lungs of a foal with R equi pneumonia and opsonized with fresh adult equine serum that contained R equi specific antibody. The mean...
Winder NC, von Fellenberg R.The peroxidase anti-peroxidase technique was used to demonstrate free and intracellular immunoglobulin (Ig) within the lungs of 23 horses with chronic small airway disease. Histologically, all the horses had chronic bronchiolitis; however, the lesions varied in degree from mild in eight horses, to moderate in nine horses and severe in six horses. Lungs from three horses which had no gross or histopathological lesions were used as controls. In comparison with control horses, horses with mild chronic bronchiolitis had increased numbers of Ig A-containing and non-immunoglobulin staining cells aro...
Hannant D, Mumford JA, Jessett DM.The duration of immunity as measured by virological, serological and clinical responses following infection with influenza A/equine/Newmarket/79 (H3N8) was assessed in repeated challenge experiments in which ponies were infected by exposure to aerosols of infectious virus. Previous infection stimulated complete clinical protection which persisted for at least 32 weeks as demonstrated by the absence of febrile responses and coughing in two groups of ponies infected 16 weeks or 32 weeks after the first infection. Partial clinical protection persisted for over a year as demonstrated by the absenc...
Sundquist B, Lövgren K, Morein B.A monovalent experimental ISCOM vaccine has been prepared with the envelope glycoproteins haemagglutinin and neuraminidase of the equine virus strain A/Solvalla/79 (H3N8). In vaccination trials on BALB/c mice the ISCOM vaccine induced more than ten times higher serum antibody titres measured in ELISA than a corresponding experimental micelle vaccine. Similarly, in guinea-pigs the ISCOMs induced about tenfold higher haemagglutination inhibition (HI) and neuraminidase inhibition (NI) titres than a micelle vaccine or a conventional killed influenza whole virus vaccine. Horses vaccinated with a di...
Palmer JE, Whitlock RH, Benson CE.Equine ehrlichial colitis was experimentally induced in 18 ponies, using Ehrlichia risticii-infected blood. Four ponies (group 1) were treated with oxytetracycline (6.6 mg/kg of body weight, IV, q 12 h), beginning 14 hours before inoculation and continuing for 5 days after inoculation. Four additional ponies (group 2) were treated similarly for 10 days after inoculation. The remaining 10 ponies were used as nontreated, infected controls. Clinical disease was delayed in 3 group-1 ponies and in 4 group-2 ponies. Protective immunity developed in the remaining pony that did not develop clinical di...
Larsen HJ, Bakke SH, Mehl R.A skin test survey was carried out in Icelandic horses in Norway and Iceland using extracts of Culicoides spp. as antigen. Eleven horses with recurrent seasonal dermatitis reacted with an immediate hypersensitivity response to intradermal challenge with antigen. All except one of thirty-three clinically normal horses in Norway showed a negative response in skin tests. These findings indicate that Culicoides spp. may be the major cause of the disease in Norway. Only one of the 110 horses tested in Iceland showed any skin test reaction (weak), demonstrating that the horses were not sensitized to...
Wiśniewski E, Kuźma K.The normal level of plasma lysozyme of 9 Tarpane-like horses was 0.922pg/ml. This was
calculated from determinations performed 5 times in a period of 14 months. Observations on the
normal plasma level of lysozyme in the horse revealed marked variations in individual animals, as well
as in the whole group and in the mean values calculated for individual horses. The model for the
subsequent studies was an experimental fever evoked by the administration of E. colz LPS in a dose of
0.1 pg/kg body weight. Blood samples from the jugular vein were taken just before LPS injection, and
then for 8...
Carpenter S, Evans LH, Sevoian M, Chesebro B.Equine infectious anemia virus was isolated from peripheral blood leukocytes collected during two early febrile cycles of an experimentally infected horse. RNase T1-resistant oligonucleotide fingerprint analyses indicated that the nucleotide sequences of the isolates differed by approximately 0.25% and that the differences appeared randomly distributed throughout the genome. Serum collected in the interval between virus isolations was able to distinguish the isolates by membrane immunofluorescence on live cells. However, no neutralizing antibody was detected in the interval between virus isola...
Strzemienski PJ, Dyer RM, Kenney RM.Neutrophils isolated from jugular blood of ovariectomized mares were studied for the effect of estradiol and progesterone on bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus. In experiment 1, neutrophils obtained from 4 mares were tested for bactericidal activity by adding estradiol (43 pg/ml) or progesterone (6.4 ng/ml) to the bactericidal assay. In experiment 2, 3 of the 4 ovariectomized mares were given 2 mg of estradiol, IM, daily for 3 days. Eighteen days after the initial estradiol injection, mares were given 300 mg of progesterone, IM, for 6 days. Neutrophils from these mares were te...
Bridges CG, Edington N.Six Welsh Mountain pony foals were experimentally infected with a subtype 2 isolate of Equid Herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) and subsequently examined for T cell mediated cytotoxicity against both subtypes. Cytotoxicity was not observed at 3 or 7 days after primary exposure but virus-specific, and genetically restricted, cytotoxicity of EHV-1-labelled autologous skin fibroblasts could be demonstrated 7 and 21 days after the animals were given a second exposure to live virus. Killing of subtype 2 antigen-labelled targets was more efficient than subtype 1 coated cells. This finding was paralleled by the o...
Morris DD, Gaulin G, Strzemienski PJ, Spencer P.Comparison of neutrophil function was made between 8 clinically normal pony foals (3 to 7 days of age), and their dams. Random migration, stimulated migration to zymosan-activated serum, bacterial phagocytosis and bactericidal capacity of neutrophils were determined in vitro. Random migration was greater (P less than 0.01) and stimulated migration was less (P less than 0.01) in foals than in their dams. Bacterial phagocytosis and bactericidal capacity of neutrophils were not different (P greater than 0.05) between foals and mares. Results of this study suggested that neonatal foals have altere...
Chirino-Trejo JM, Prescott JF, Yager JA.Two groups of three one to three week old foals were immunized orally on four occasions over five weeks with two strains of Rhodococcus equi, a clinical isolate from a pneumonic foal and a laboratory passaged Congo red negative variant of this strain. Three nonimmunized foals of similar age acted as controls. Three weeks after the last immunization, all foals were challenged on five occasions over seven days by aerosol infection with about 10(10) of the pneumonic foal isolate on each occasion. Control foals became seriously ill and were euthanized. Immunization with either strain protected foa...
Gearhart MA, Webb PA, Knight AP, Salman MD, Smith JA, Erickson GA.Two doses of a formalin-killed, cell culture-derived vesicular stomatitis virus (vsv)-New Jersey serotype vaccine were administered intramuscularly, 30 days apart, to all lactating and nonlactating cows in a 350-cow dairy herd. Serum specimens were obtained serially from 96 cows before vaccination and at 30, 52 and 80 days after vaccination and from 24 of these cows 175 days after vaccination. Serum neutralizing antibody titers to vsv-New Jersey serotype were determined from serum-dilution, plaque-reduction tests. Serum neutralizing antibody titers also were determined during the same period f...
Veenman JN, Dujardint CL, Hoek A, Grootendorst A, Klein WR, Rutten VP.Equine acute abdominal disease is often associated with shock. Important aspects in the onset of this complication include hypovolaemia, the translocation of endotoxins from the gut and the subsequent activation of the cytokine network. The clinical efficacy of high volume continuous venovenous haemofiltration (HV-CVVH) and the clearance of cytokines were therefore investigated in an equine endotoxaemic model. Ten male Shetland ponies received a slow infusion of LPS (2 microg/kg bwt) under general anaesthesia. The treatment group (n = 5) received HV-CVVH (2 ml/kg bwt/min) using a 75 kD polymet...
Tobin T, Tai HH, Tai CL, Houtz PK, Dai MR, Woods WE, Yang JM, Weckman TJ, Chang SL, Blake JW.We have developed and evaluated a one step enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test for fentanyl as part of a panel of pre- and post-race tests for narcotic analgesics in racing horses. This ELISA test detects fentanyl with an I-50 of about 100 pg/ml. The test is economical in that it can be read with an inexpensive spectrophotometer, or even by eye. The test is rapid, and ten samples, a normal pre-race complement, can be analyzed in about twenty minutes. The test readily detects the presence of fentanyl or its metabolites in equine blood and urine from two and twenty-four hours respecti...
Freer H, Hillegas JM, Wimer C, Baldwin C, LaBresh J, Wagner B.Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a T cell growth factor and major modulator of T helper (Th) cell differentiation. Here, we have developed and characterized a monoclonal antibody to equine IL-2 (anti-IL-2 mAb, clone 158-1). The IL-2 mAb detected rIL-2 by ELISA, intracellular staining and flow cytometry analysis and Western blotting. The IL-2 mAb was also paired with a polyclonal IL-2 detection antibody in both ELISA and a fluorescent bead-based assay. When these two assays were compared using identical reagents there was an improved analytical sensitivity (46pg/ml) and wider linear quantification range...
Hu D, Tang Y, Wang C, Qi Y, Ente M, Li X, Zhang D, Li K, Chu H.The microbiota and its metabolites play an important role in regulating the host metabolism and immunity. However, the underlying mechanism is still not well studied. Thus, we conducted the LC-MS/MS analysis and RNA-seq analysis on with and without horse botfly infestation to determine the metabolites produced by intestinal microbiota in feces and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to the immune response in blood and attempted to link them together. The results showed that parasite infection could change the composition of microbial metabolites. These identified metabolites could b...
Causey RC, Paccamonti DL, Todd WJ.A total of 22 clinical streptococcal isolates, predominantly Streptococcus zooepidemicus, associated with endometritis in horses were tested for their ability to withstand the natural bactericidal properties of freshly obtained blood. During a 3-hour incubation in blood from a single horse, 8 of these isolates survived and grew, the remainder were killed. To determine whether this ability to grow extended to blood of other horses, 5 of these growing isolates were tested for their ability to grow in the blood of 5 additional horses. The same 5 horses were used for each isolate. The isolates gre...
Rupić V, Bacar-Huskić L, Lojkić M, Habe F, Ergotić N.Research was carried out into the effect that different quantities and compositions of concentrated portions of meal had on certain haematological properties and on the immune response of mares in the course of hyper-immune antitetanus sera production. The experiment involved 24 Nonius and Lipizzaner cross-bred mares divided into two groups of 12 animals each, a control group and a trial group. The experiment lasted 12 months, with haematological and immunological tests being carried out every 30 days. During the course of the experiment each mare was subjected to 11 immunisation cycles, and i...
Schuberth HJ, Hadam M, Leibold W.The determination of differentiation and transplantation antigens will be of growing importance in immune diagnosis for individual animals as well as for breeding purposes in populations. Differentiation antigens characterize subsets of cell populations and indicate their functional capacity while transplantation antigens represent markers of individuals of a species. Occurrence and significance of these antigenic systems are briefly reviewed.
Watson ED, Zanecosky HG.Fluid was aspirated from the preovulatory follicles of mares before and 12, 24 and 36 h after intravenous administration of hCG. Follicular fluid significantly (P less than 0.001) reduced lymphocyte blastogenesis in vitro and, at a dilution of 1:100, fluid collected at 36 h after administration of hCG was significantly more suppressive (P less than 0.01) than fluid collected before 36 h. Suppression of blastogenesis was reduced by extracting the follicular fluid with ether or by charcoal treatment (P less than 0.01) or by heating at 56 degrees C for 30 min (P less than 0.05). Preincubation of ...
Dixon PM, McGorum BC, Long KJ, Else RW.An outdoor pony which developed severe respiratory distress in February was shown to have acute interstitial pulmonary disease (alveolitis), which was characterised by a massive exudation of eosinophil rich fluid into the airways. While antibiotic treatment before referral was ineffective, the condition rapidly responded to corticosteroid therapy. No evidence of lungworm was present and it appears that this interstitial pulmonary disease had an immune-mediated aetiology. Bronchoalveolar lavage cytology was of great value in the diagnosis and monitoring of this case.
Stadler P, van Amstel SR.The results of a study conducted to determine the clinico-pathological changes in 4 experimentally-induced cases of endotoxaemia in the horse are reported on. Endotoxaemia was induced by injecting commercially available E. coli 055:B5 lipopolysaccharide intravenously at a dose of 1 microgram kg-1. The haematocrit, red cell count, total and differential white cell counts, thrombocyte count, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen level, level of fibrin degradation products, arterial acid-base status, serum lactate and blood glucose were determined repeatedly. Changes that occu...
Taylor FG, Cooke BJ.The fragility of erythrocytes is easily demonstrated by their ability to withstand osmotic swelling and lysis in solutions of increasingly hypotonic saline. In healthy animals a plot of percentage haemolysis against increasing hypotonicity produces a sigmoid curve. Using the same data a derivative curve calculated from haemolytic increments shows a normal distribution of fragility within samples. In enhanced fragility due to immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia, these profiles of haemolysis are markedly altered and the derivative curve becomes multiphasic, indicating the presence of subpopulatio...
Picetti TS, Soveral LF, Miotto R, Erpen LMS, Kreutz Y, Guizzo JA, Frandoloso R, Kreutz LC.Immune-modulating molecules mainly act on innate immune cells, which are central to early defense against invading pathogens and contribute to developing adaptive immunity. Yeast-extracted β-glucan, a model immune-modulating molecule, is widely used in several animal species; however, its effect on horse immune parameters has not been thoroughly investigated yet. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of orally administered β-glucan on selected innate immune parameters in horses. Methods: Eighteen thoroughbred horses were assigned equally into three groups as follows: One control group (no...
Tornquist SJ, Crawford TB.Foals infected with equine infectious anemia virus become thrombocytopenic 7 to 20 days after virus inoculation, and within a few days following the onset of detectable viremia. The thrombocytopenia is associated with suppression of platelet production. Possible mediators of suppression of thrombopoiesis include tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), cytokines that are released during inflammation. To assess effects of plasma or serum from infected foals on megakaryocyte (MK) growth and maturation in vitro, equine low-density bone marrow cells w...
Liu IK, Walsh EM, Bernoco M, Cheung AT.Two bronchoalveolar lavages, 24 h apart, were performed on 15 foals, ranging in age from 1 to 21 days. In the first lavage, a numerical deficiency in alveolar macrophages was demonstrated in foals up to 2 weeks of age when compared with older (2-3 years of age) horses. Alveolar macrophages obtained from the lungs of 2-3-day-old foals also demonstrated significant impaired chemotactic function. In the second lavage, although an increase of alveolar macrophages was noted, a dramatic increase of polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) mobilization occurred in the foals, thus providing a phagocytic bac...
Shawaf T, El-Deeb W, Hussen J, Hendi M, Al-Bulushi S.Recently, the complementary therapies such as cupping and acupuncture are being used in veterinary medicine. This research was carried out to determine the effects of wet cupping therapy (Hijama) on the hematological and the biochemical parameters in the healthy Arabian horses for the first time. Methods: In this study, seven clinically healthy Arabian horses were randomly selected. Four points on the animal body were selected to perform the cupping therapy. Two points were selected at the back just behind the scapula on the left and right sides; another two points were located in the rump. Cu...
Nara PL, Krakowka S, Powers TE, Garg RC.Fourteen young outbred horses, divided into 2 groups on the basis of 18- or 24-hour skin-test reactions to Streptococcus equi, were inoculated nasopharyngeally with virulent S equi. Animals (n = 6, group I) with evidence of previous exposure to S equi (positive dermal response and existing serum antibodies), with one exception, developed minimal or no signs of disease after inoculation. In contrast, S equi skin-test negative and seronegative horses (n = 8, group II) developed predictable and severe clinical signs of infection after their inoculation, including shedding of the organism from nas...
François L, Hoskens H, Velie BD, Stinckens A, Tinel S, Lamberigts C, Peeters L, Savelkoul HFJ, Tijhaar E, Lindgren G, Janssens S, Ducro BJ, Buys N....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...
Martin RG, Penhale WJ, Williamson P.The influx of protein and polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) into the uterine lumen was examined at different intervals after intrauterine infusion of fluids. The intrauterine infusion of both phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and a solution of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) derived from Escherichia coli resulted in a biphasic influx of protein in the uterine flushings peaking three and six hours after infusion. LPS infusion caused an additional influx of protein at 24 hours. The initial influx of protein preceded a biphasic influx of PMN which peaked six and 24 hours after both infusions. Uterine flu...
Onishi JC, Park JW, Prado J, Eades SC, Mirza MH, Fugaro MN, Häggblom MM, Reinemeyer CR.Carbohydrate overload models of equine acute laminitis are used to study the development of lameness. It is hypothesized that a diet-induced shift in cecal bacterial communities contributes to the development of the pro-inflammatory state that progresses to laminar failure. It is proposed that vasoactive amines, protease activators and endotoxin, all bacterial derived bioactive metabolites, play a role in disease development. Questions regarding the oral bioavailability of many of the bacterial derived bioactive metabolites remain. This study evaluates the possibility that a carbohydrate-induc...
Noschka E, Moore JN, Peroni JF, Lewis TH, Lewis SJ, Robertson TP.To provide insights into the role of prostaglandin F(2 alpha) (PGF(2 alpha)) in the developmental stages of laminitis induced in horses by ingestion of black walnut heartwood extract (BWHE). Methods: 10 adult mixed-breed horses. Methods: Horses were separated into 2 groups and were euthanatized at 12 hours after placebo (water) administration (control horses) or after BWHE administration and development of Obel grade 1 laminitis. Blood samples were obtained to determine plasma PGF(2 alpha) concentrations hourly for the first 4 hours and subsequently every 2 hours after substance administration...
Cohen ND, Kahn SK, Cywes-Bentley C, Ramirez-Cortez S, Schuckert AE, Vinacur M, Bordin AI, Pier GB.Rhodococcus equi is a prevalent cause of pneumonia in foals worldwide. Our laboratory has demonstrated that vaccination against the surface polysaccharide β-1→6-poly-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG) protects foals against intrabronchial infection with R. equi when challenged at age 28 days. However, it is important that the efficacy of this vaccine be evaluated in foals when they are infected at an earlier age, because foals are naturally exposed to virulent R. equi in their environment from birth and because susceptibility is inversely related to age in foals. Using a randomized, blind experim...
Hay AN, Potter A, Lindsay D, LeRoith T, Zhu J, Cashwell S, Witonsky S, Leeth C.Sarcocystis neurona is the predominant etiological agent of the infectious equine neurologic disease, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), which is prevalent in the United States. A wealth of knowledge about S. neurona biology and its life cycle has accumulated over the last several decades. However, much remains unknown about the aberrant equine host's immune response to S. neurona and the relatively high prevalence of exposure to the protozoa but relatively infrequent occurrence of clinical neurologic disease. Mouse models simulating EPM are commonly used to study the disease due to num...
Coyne CP, Fenwick BW, Iandola J, Williams D, Griffith G.Objectives of this investigation were to extract and isolate protein fractions inhibitory to the cytotoxic properties of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). In this context, mixed populations of WBC were harvested from equine blood and were stimulated with a combination of a synthetic chemotactic peptide and a calcium ionophore. Several methods were subsequently applied for the initial preparation of cell-free crude protein extracts, including fractional precipitation with gradient concentrations of ammonium sulfate and preparative-scale isoelectric focusing. In addition, protein fraction...
Equine lentivirus receptor-1 (ELR1) has been characterized as the specific functional receptor that mediates equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) entrance to horse macrophages. This receptor is tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 14 (TNFRSF14). The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of allelic variants in the coding sequence of equine TNFRSF14 gene by screening for single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in different equine populations. Forty seven horse samples were randomly selected from a reservoir of EIAV-seropositive and seronegative samples collected from d...
Richard EA, Pitel PH, Lemaitre L, Jas D, Lekeux P, Pronost S, Fortier G.The aim of this study was to investigate neutrophil stimulation following experimentally-induced airway inflammation in healthy horses. Six horses received dexamethasone and four were then inoculated with equid herpesvirus-2 (EHV-2). Significant neutrophilia was detected in tracheal wash and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for up to 6 days. Concentrations of neutrophil elastase (NE) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were significantly increased compared to baseline for up to 14 days in tracheal washes and both markers were significantly correlated with neutrophil counts. Serum levels of surfactant protei...
Bechert U, Rohde J, Freer H, Wagner B.SpayVac is an immunocontraceptive vaccine based on porcine zona pellucida (pZP) antigens and uses a patented liposome formulation (VacciMax or DepoVax). It has delivered single-dose, long-lasting (4-10 years) immunocontraception in several species. Previous studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between levels of pZP antibodies produced and contraceptive effect; however, individual mares that were consistently infertile did not necessarily have the highest antibody titers. The objective of this study was to identify potential differences in specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) isotype res...
McBeath DG, Wells PW, Eyre P, Hanna CJ.This paper attempts to relate the practicalities of vaccine development to the ideals which should be aimed for in a new vaccine. The type of immune response induced is dependent upon the nature of the antigen in the vaccine and the site and timing of its presentation to the immune system. In this respect the influence of age, maternal immunity and antigenic competition are discussed. The possible side effects associated with vaccination are defined and vaccines which are currently available for horses are reviewed. These vaccines are mostly for the prevention of respiratory disease. Finally, ...
Hernandez D, Yeo WM, Brooks MB, Ness SL, Divers TJ, Stokol T.OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of treatment of horses with standard platelet inhibitors on ex vivo inhibition of platelet activation by equine herpesvirus type I (EHV-I). ANIMALS II healthy adult horses. PROCEDURES In a double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study, horses were treated orally for 5 days with theophylline (5 mg/kg, q 12 h), pentoxifylline (10 mg/kg, q 12 h), clopidogrel bisulfate (4 mg/kg, q 24 h), acetylsalicylic acid (20 mg/kg, q 24 h), or placebo. Horses received all treatments, each separated by a 3-week washout period. Platelet-rich plasma was prepared from citrate...
Do Carmo GM, Da Silva AS, Klauck V, Pazinato R, Moura AB, Duarte T, Duarte MM, Bochi GV, Moresco RN, Stefani LM.Toxoplasmosis is an important parasitic disease affecting several species of mammals, but little is known about this disease in horses. This study aimed to investigate the levels of several immunological variables and markers of cell damage in the serum of seropositive horses for Toxoplasma gondii. Sera samples of adult horses from the Santa Catarina State, Brazil used on a previous study were divided into groups according to their antibody levels for T. gondii determined by immunofluorescence assay, i.e. 20 samples from seronegative horses (Group A - control), 20 samples from horses with tite...
Hay AN, Wagner B, Leeth CM, LeRoith T, Cecere TE, Lahmers KK, Andrews FM, Werre SR, Johnson AL, Clark CK, Pusterla N, Reed SM, Lindsay DS, Taylor S....Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a debilitating neurologic disease affecting horses across the Americas. Gaps in understanding the inflammatory immune response in EPM-affected horses create difficulties with diagnosis and treatment, subsequently negatively impacting the prognosis of affected horses. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate circulating levels of the inflammatory immune marker soluble CD14 (sCD14), in horses with EPM (n = 7) and determine if they differed from healthy neurologically normal horses (n = 6). Paired sera and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were ...
