Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is an antibody class involved in the immune response of horses, particularly in allergic reactions and parasitic infections. It binds to allergens and triggers the release of inflammatory mediators from mast cells and basophils. Elevated levels of IgE are often associated with hypersensitivity disorders, such as insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) in horses. This page assembles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that investigate the production, regulation, and clinical implications of Immunoglobulin E in equine health, including its role in allergic conditions and potential as a diagnostic marker.
Leegaard J, Roth A.Case history, skin tests and RAST were compared in a group (n = 40) of children with a history suggesting allergy to horses and in a group (n = 43) in whom there was no suspicion of hypersensitivity to horses. There was an agreement of 91% between case history and prick test. The same magnitude of agreement was found between case history and RAST (89%), and the agreement between RAST and prick test was 90%. The results of this investigation are clearly in contrast to earlier earlier reports, in that there was a very good correlation between prick test, RAST and case history. The results sugges...
Nielsen KH.Using antisera specific for the heavy chain of human IgE and bovine reaginic immunoglobulin, the degree of cross-reaction amongst sera from pig, rat, rabbit, guinea pig, goat, cow, horse, dog, cat and human was tested. Antihuman IgE antiserum gave strong reactions with pig, rabbit, cow, goat and human sera (100% to 15.1%) and weak reactions with rat, guinea pig, horse, dog and cat sera (10.1% to 3.22%). Antibovine reagin antiserum produced a considerable amount of cross-reaction with sera from pig, rat, rabbit, goat, horse and human (43.6% to 20.1%) with limited reactions with guinea pig, dog ...
Burka JF, Deline TR, Holroyde MC, Eyre P.Horses were sensitized to bovine plasma in Freund's complete adjuvant. Leukocytes, separated from venous blood, yielded histamine upon incubation with bovine plasma. Ioslated lung fragments incubated with bovine plasma liberated histamine and 5-HT, but not SRS-A. Pulmonary veins obtained from the same animals contracted to histamine, 5-HT and to antigen (Schultz-Dale reaction). Histamine and 5-HT probably contribute to immediate-type hypersensitivity in horses whereas the role of SRS-A is not proved.
Løowenstein H, Markussen B, Weeke B.Three major allergens of horse hair and dandruff have been isolated. The fractionation procedures involved various combinations, described in detail, of ethanol precipitation below --5degreesC, cation- and anion-exchange chromatography, and gel filtration. UV absorption, quantitative immunoelectrophoresis and RAST inhibition were used to monitor the separations. Protein impurities constituted less than 5% in all cases. The molecular weights of the isolated proteins were 1.9 X 10(4), 5.1 X 10(4) and 3.1 X 10(4) daltons, respectively. The pIs were determined as 4.1, 3.8 and 3.9, respectively. Th...
Løwenstein H, Markussen B, Weeke B.Sera from 26 patients and 4 normals were examined for specific IgE binding to antigens of extract of horse hair and dandruff by means of CRIE. 22 of the patients were RAST- and intracutaneous-positive to horse extract. 4 more of the patients were RAST-negative to horse allergens, but showed allergies to extract of allergens from sources other than horse. The remaining four sera from controls were RAST-negative to horse and had no history of allergy. Antigens of horse hair and dandruff showed a significantly higher degree of binding to specific IgE in the sera from the first group of patients t...
Finkelstein RA.An antiserum specific for Vibrio cholerae exo-enterotoxin was produced by immunization of a horse with purified choleragenoid, a natural cholera toxoid. The serum has a high titer against the toxin antigen in passive hemagglutination tests and a respectable antipermeability factor activity. It also passively protected against choleragen-induced mouse foot edema. The serum was found to be useful for assaying toxin antigen in crude and refined products by in vitro tests such as radial immunodiffusion, Lf, and quantitative precipitin titrations. Based upon experimental observations, the serum was...
Montgomery PC, Bello AC, Rockey JH.N-terminal tetrapeptides from heavy chains of equine γGab- and γT-globulins, and of human γG and γA myeloma proteins and a γM macroglobulin, have been studied. The equine and human heavy chains lacked free α-amino-terminal groups. After mild alkaline hydrolysis, glutamic acid was identified as the terminal amino acid by reaction with dimethylaminonaphthalenesulfonyl chloride, tentatively identifying pyrrolid-2-one-5-carboxylic acid (PCA) as the unreactive terminal residue of each heavy chain. Peptides lacking a free α-amino group were isolated from subtilisin and pronase digests of the ...
Glaze MB, McGuire TC, Schmidt GM, Leid RW.A quantitative investigation of equine tear and aqueous humor immunoglobulins was done using normal horses and ponies as well as horses and ponies infected with Onchocerca cervicalis. The equine immunoglobulin isotypes IgGa, IgM, IgA and IgG(T) were quantitated by either single radial immunodiffusion (SRID) or radioimmunoassay (RIA). Tear immunoglobulin levels for IgGa (128 +/- 151 micrograms/ml), IgA (1,664 +/- 1,038 micrograms/ml) and IgM (106 +/- 74 micrograms/ml) were measured, while IgG(T) was not detectable. In horses with ocular inflammation the IgGa was 18-fold higher in the tears, 2,2...
Dupont S, De Spiegeleer A, Liu DJ, Lefère L, van Doorn DA, Hesta M.Commercial immunoglobulin E (IgE)-based tests are available for diagnosis of food allergies and are commonly used in equine practice. However, these tests have been proven unreliable as a screening method in man and other species, but not critically evaluated in equids. Therefore, a commercially available IgE-based test for horses was evaluated. Objective: To evaluate the consistency of the results obtained with a commercially available IgE-based test for food allergy diagnosis in ponies (Phase I) and to subject ponies to a provocation trial with the presumed allergens (Phase II). Methods: All...
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...
Hampe M.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...
Petersen A, Schott HC.To determine whether dexamethasone or hydroxyzine affect intradermal testing (IDT) and allergen-specific IgE serum testing (ASIST) results in horses, these tests were performed serially in five horses without signs of atopic dermatitis before and after treatment with the drugs. IDT consisted of saline, histamine (1:100,000 w/v) and eight commercial extracts; results were evaluated as subjective scores by comparison to saline (0) and histamine (4) and as objective measurement of wheal diameter (mm). After baseline testing, dexamethasone (20 mg) was administered intramuscularly daily for 7 days....
Wilkołek P, Szczepanik M, Rodzik B, Sitkowski W, Pluta M, Taszkun I, Gołyński M.Intradermal tests (IDTs) and measurement of specific immunoglobulin E class (sIgE) levels in sera are the most common and reliable methods used in allergological clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to explore the sensitization of pollen allergy in atopic horses with pollinosis and to assess the diagnostic value of the multiple allergen simultaneous tests (MASTs) compared with that of the IDT. Twenty-one Malopolski horses with typical skin hypersensitivity symptoms during pollen seasons were enrolled. Intradermal tests were performed, and allergen-specific IgE concentrations in ser...
Watson JL, Jackson KA, King DP, Stott JL.Expression of the low-affinity IgE receptor (CD23) on the surface of mononuclear cells is a critical event in the development of IgE-mediated immunologic responses. Using PCR and cDNA library screening, a 2.7kb cDNA encoding equine CD23 and a 627bp PCR fragment of cattle CD23 were sequenced and characterized. The equine CD23 sequence encodes a complete and continuous open reading frame of 327 amino acids, while the shorter cattle fragment encodes 209 amino acids corresponding to nucleotides 325-1098 of the equine CD23 transcript. In addition to high identities in their nucleotides and translat...
Wilkołek P, Szczepanik M, Sitkowski W, Rodzik B, Pluta M, Taszkun I, Gołyński M.Although intradermal testing (IDT) is commonly used in the etiological diagnosis of allergies, in vitro testing for specific IgE (sIgE) is an attractive alternative. Currently, new laboratory techniques in veterinary allergological practice, including multiple allergen simultaneous tests (MASTs), gradually supersede in vivo tests. Both, serological (sIgE) and IDTs in fourteen atopic Malopolski horses were performed. Correlation and agreement between test results were evaluated. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that sIgE to had the best diagnostic performance (Area under the R...
Dynowski J, Wasowska-Królikowska K, Modzelewska-Hołyńska M, Tomaszewska M, Funkowicz M.Atopic dermatitis is a disease of multifactorial pathogenesis. Objective: of the study was to establish the most common allergens responsible for development of atopic symptoms in children with atopic dermatitis. Methods: the study complied 36 children aged 4 months - 3 years treated in the Department of Children Allergology, Gastroenterology and Nutrition because of atopic dermatitis. With each case the patient and family history of atopy was collected and basic laboratory tests were conducted (including total IgE and specific IgE using Polly Check system). Results: eosinophilia was found in ...
Gislason D, Asmundsson T, Gislason T.Diseases connected with work in hay have been known in Iceland for a long time. In 1981 scientific studies of these diseases were started in Iceland at the request of the Farmers Union. The results of these studies are summarized in this article. In studies of hay a great amount of storage mites, moulds and thermophilic actinomycetes (microlyspora faeni) were found in addition to allergens from mice and pollen. Symptoms caused by hay dust were mainly from nose and eyes in people with positive skin tests, but cough, dyspnea and fever were equally common in those with negative skin tests. The mo...
Rosada T, Lis K, Bartuzi Z, Ukleja-Sokołowska N.The domestic horse is the third most common source of animal allergens. Currently, five equine allergens have been classified (Equ c 1, 2, 3, 4, 6). Despite the apparently low exposure to allergens, equine allergy is still of great clinical importance. The aim of the study was to analyze equine allergy based on the results of ImmunoCAP ISAC and Allergy Xplorer ALEX tests. The study was retrospective. A total of 1553 patients were analyzed. Immunological tests were performed using the ImmunoCAP ISAC and Allergy Xplorer ALEX systems. From all the results, those with a positive result for at leas...
Jonsdottir S, Stefansdottir SB, Mirkovitch J, Ziegler A, Torsteinsdottir S, Marti E.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an IgE-mediated dermatitis in horses caused by bites of spp. The allergens are salivary gland proteins from these insects, and nine major allergens from have been identified and expressed in . However, proteins expressed in procaryotic systems have limitations in cellular assays, particularly in functional assays assessing the allergen-induced release of mediators , such as sulphidoleukotrienes (sLT) from basophils. The aims of the study were to produce functional allergens in insect cells, to assess their allergenicity using a sLT release assay, and to...
von der Höden FJ, Stefansdottir SB, Torsteinsdottir S, Svansson V, Björnsson JM, Wagner B, Mahmuti D, Marti E, Jonsdottir S.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a seasonal, IgE-mediated allergic dermatitis of horses caused by salivary gland proteins of biting midges ( spp.). Current management relies on relief of clinical signs and on physical protection. In a previous pilot study, healthy horses were fed transgenic barley expressing a allergen via a special spiral bit, which successfully induced allergen-specific antibody responses. Building on this concept, the present study aimed to evaluate a more practical feeding approach, delivering transgenic barley expressing the major allergen Cul o 2p in a feed-compat...
Simonin EM, Torsteinsdóttir S, Svansson V, Björnsdóttir S, Freer H, Tarsillo J, Wagner B.The origins of allergy are both genetic and environmental. We performed a full-sibling study to determine the role of early-in-life or delayed allergen introduction on hypersensitivity development in a cohort with history of an allergic phenotype and Culicoides hypersensitivity. IgE-mediated allergies naturally develop in many mammalian species, and we used a horse model of allergy called hypersensitivity. hypersensitivity is a seasonal, recurrent, IgE-mediated allergy caused by the salivary proteins of biting midges. Unassigned: The study included four cohorts that lived together in the s...