The equine immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work collaboratively to defend against pathogens and maintain homeostasis. It consists of innate and adaptive components, each with distinct functions and mechanisms. The innate immune system provides the first line of defense through physical barriers, phagocytic cells, and the complement system. The adaptive immune system involves lymphocytes, such as B cells and T cells, which generate specific responses to antigens and provide immunological memory. Research in equine immunology explores the interactions between these components, the impact of genetic and environmental factors on immune function, and the development of vaccines and therapeutics. This page gathers peer-reviewed studies and scholarly articles focusing on the mechanisms, regulation, and clinical applications of the equine immune system in health and disease.
In this paper, we report a comprehensive and consistent annotation of the locus encoding the β-chain of the equine T-cell receptor (TRB), as inferred from recent genome assembly using bioinformatics tools. The horse TRB locus spans approximately 1 Mb, making it the largest locus among the mammalian species studied to date, with a significantly higher number of genes related to extensive duplicative events. In the region, 136 TRBV (belonging to 29 subgroups), 2 TRBD, 13 TRBJ, and 2 TRBC genes, were identified. The general genomic organization resembles that of other mammals, with a V cluster o...
Kader T, Lin JR, Hug C, Coy S, Chen YA, de Bruijn I, Shih N, Jung E, Pelletier RJ, Leon ML, Mingo G, Omran DK, Lee JS, Yapp C, Satravada BA, Kundra R....High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (HGSOC) originates from fallopian tube (FT) precursors. However, the molecular changes that occur as precancerous lesions progress to HGSOC are not well understood. To address this, we integrated high-plex imaging and spatial transcriptomics to analyze human tissue samples at different stages of HGSOC development, including p53 signatures, serous tubal intraepithelial carcinomas (STIC), and invasive HGSOC. Our findings reveal immune modulating mechanisms within precursor epithelium, characterized by chromosomal instability, persistent interferon (IFN) signaling...
Lin Y, Wang Y, Li H, Liu T, Zhang J, Guo X, Guo W, Wang Y, Liu X, Huang S, Liao H, Wang X.Single B cells-based antibody platforms offer an effective approach for the discovery of useful antibodies for therapeutic or research purposes. Here we present a method for screening equine immunoglobins F(ab)2, which offers the potential advantage of reacting with multiple epitopes on the virus. Using equine influenza virus (EIV) as model, a hemagglutinin (HA) trimer was constructed to bait B cells in vaccinated horses. We screened 370 HA-specific B cells from 1 × 10 PBMCs and identified a diverse set of equine variable region gene sequences of heavy and light chains and then recombined wit...
Neufang L, Ramos J, Eda S, Flatland B, Giori L.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is a neurodegenerative disease of senior horses. Loss of dopaminergic inhibition of the melanotropes of the pars intermedia leads to increased concentrations of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived peptides. Diagnosis is challenging due to pre-analytical variables, such as sample storage, handling, and time to analysis. Our objective was to develop an ELISA for ACTH measurement, which could ultimately form the basis for a stall-side equine ACTH test. We selected 2 ACTH-specific monoclonal antibodies, CBL57 and EPR20361-248, based on the recognition o...
Holmes CM, Wagner B.Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) enters through the upper respiratory tract (URT). Mucosal immunity at the URT is crucial in limiting viral infection and morbidity. Here, intranasal immune cells were collected from horses (n = 15) during an experimental EHV-1 infection. CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were the major intranasal cell populations before infection and increased significantly by day six and fourteen post-infection, respectively. Nasal mucosal T cells were further characterized in healthy horses. Compared to peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), mucosal CD8+ T-cell percentages were elev...
To provide some glimpses on the possibility of shaping the human gut microbiome (GM) through probiotic exchange with natural ecosystems, here we explored the impact of 15 days of daily interaction with horses on the GM of 10 urban-living Italian children. Specifically, the children were in close contact with the horses in an "educational farm", where they spent almost 10 h/day interacting with the animals. The children's GM was assessed before and after the horse interaction using metabarcoding sequencing and shotgun metagenomics, along with the horses' skin, oral and fecal microbiomes. Targ...
Hu X, Xu J, Wang X, Tian Z, Guan G, Luo J, Yin H, Du J.African horse sickness (AHS) is an acute and subacute infectious disease of equine species caused by the African horse sickness virus (AHSV). The VP7 of AHSV is a group-specific protein conserved in all serotypes and is an excellent candidate for the serological diagnosis and an AHS vaccine component. However, to date, B-cell epitopes on the AHSV VP7 recognized by humoral immune responses remain unclear. This study expressed the recombinant AHSV VP7 soluble in Escherichia coli and purified it for mouse immunization. Four monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were screened and identified by hybridoma ce...
Delcourt V, Pinetre J, Chabot B, Barnabé A, Cacault M, Loup B, Becher F, Fenaille F, Popot MA, Garcia P, Bailly-Chouriberry L.Data-independent acquisition (DIA) methods employing a scanning quadrupole were recently described across multiple platforms. These strategies display remarkable performances in untargeted proteomics studies thanks to rapid duty cycles, leading to ultrashort liquid chromatography gradients while maintaining enough data points per peaks when coupled to fast-scanning mass analyzer. In this article, we perform the evaluation of three data acquisition strategies named diaPASEF,slicePASEF, and prmPASEF on a trapped ion mobility spectrometry quadrupole-time-of-flight (TIMS-Q-TOF) mass spectrometer f...
Cornell TR, Fye BL, Nyassi E, Ceesay F, Jallow M, Langendonk RF, Wootton DG, Pinchbeck G, Scantlebury CE.Exposure rates to species, the causative agent of equine epizootic lymphangitis (EL), are unknown amongst working equids in The Gambia. The primary aims of this study were to estimate anti- antibody seroprevalence in the equid population in rural The Gambia and to explore risk factors for seropositivity. Unassigned: A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted (February-July 2022), representing baseline measurements of a longitudinal cohort study. Horses ( 463) and donkeys ( = 92) without EL signs were recruited in 18 study sites. Following informed owner consent, equid clinical and m...
Wu Y, Li L, Bai W, Li T, Qian X, Liu Y, Wang S, Liu C, Wan F, Zhang D, Liu Y, Wu K, Ling Y, Zhou H, Meng F, Zhang Y, Cao J.Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is an important pathogen of the MicroRNA virus family. Infection of livestock can cause physical weakness, weight loss, reduced milk production, and a significant reduction in productivity for an extended period. It also causes a high mortality rate in young animals, seriously affecting livestock production. The host range of FMDV is mainly limited to cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle and sheep, while odd-toed ungulates such as horses and donkeys have natural resistance to FMDV. The mechanism underlying this resistance in odd-toed ungulates remains unclea...
Hu Y, Zhang SY, Sun WC, Feng YR, Gong HR, Ran DL, Zhang BZ, Liu JH.Equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) has been linked to the emergence of neurological disorders, with the horse racing industry experiencing significant impacts from outbreaks of equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM). Building robust immune memory before pathogen exposure enables rapid recognition and elimination, preventing infection. This is crucial for effectively managing EHV-1. Removing neuropathogenic factors and immune evasion genes to develop live attenuated vaccines appears to be a successful strategy for EHV-1 vaccines. We created mutant viruses without ORF38 and ORF37/38 and vali...
In recent decades, the integration of horses (Equus ferus) in European rewilding initiatives has gained widespread popularity due to their potential for regulating vegetation and restoring natural ecosystems. However, employing horses in conservation efforts presents important challenges, which we here explore and discuss. These challenges encompass the lack of consensus on key terms inherent to conservation and rewilding, the entrenched culture and strong emotions associated with horses, low genetic diversity and high susceptibility to hereditary diseases in animals under human selection, as ...
Gomez DE, Kamr A, Gilsenan WF, Burns TA, Mudge MC, Hostnik LD, Toribio RE.Endothelial glycocalyx (EG) degradation occurs in septic humans and EG products can be used as biomarkers of endothelial injury. Information about EG biomarkers and their association with disease severity is lacking in hospitalized foals. Objective: Measure serum syndecan-1 (SDC-1), heparan sulfate (HS), angiopoietin-2 (ANG-2), aldosterone (ALD), and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) concentrations and to determine their association with disease severity and death in hospitalized foals. Methods: Ninety foals ≤3 days old. Methods: Prospective, multicenter, longitudinal study. Foals we...
Fintl C, Wilkins PA.There are a number of unusual tumors in the horse. Gross tumor characteristics, anatomical location, and signalment may assist with identification. Clinical pathology is often unrewarding with non-specific findings, while fine needle aspirates may not obtain sufficient tissue material to confirm a diagnosis. Although regular staining of biopsy material may be sufficient, immunohistochemistry markers may be required, especially in less differentiated tumors. The prognosis is dependent on the type, location, tumor size as well as on metastatic spread. A selection of unusual and rare tumors that ...
da Silveira BP, Cohen ND, Lawhon SD, Watson RO, Bordin AI.Rhodococcus equi causes pyogranulomatous pneumonia in foals and immunocompromised people. Despite decades of research efforts, no vaccine is available against this common cause of disease and death in foals. The purpose of this narrative review is to summarise the current understanding of interactions between R. equi and the host innate immune system, to describe features of the immune response that are associated with resistance or susceptibility to R. equi infection, and help guide strategies for developing novel approaches for preventing R. equi infections. Virulence of R. equi in foals has...
Botelho JHV, Pessoa GO, Caixeta ES, Sales G, de Oliveira KR, Nascimento Neto JDP, Ferreira RD, Palhão MP.This study aimed to evaluate the localised effects of intrauterine ozone therapy on endometrial recovery in mares with endometritis. Our investigation assessed changes in gene expression profiles of anti-inflammatory (IL-1RA and IL-10), proinflammatory (IL-R1B3i and TNFα) and pleiotropic (IL-6) cytokines, along with detailed histological measurements of epithelial and endometrial thickness and the glandular area ratio. Twenty mares were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial design based on endometritis diagnosis and treatment (control or 42 μg/mL ozone insufflation), resulting in four groups: N...
Fedorka CE, El-Sheikh-Ali H, Scoggin KE, Coleman S, Humphrey EA, Troutt L, Troedsson MHT.The establishment of pregnancy involves a fine-tuned balance between protection and tolerance within the maternal immune system, as the female needs to accept a foreign antigen (the semi-allogenic fetus) while still being able to combat pathogens from the uterus. In the horse, the first uterine exposure to paternal antigens is during mating when sperm is introduced to the tissue and draining lymphatics of the uterus. Additionally, it has been suggested that seminal plasma and its proteins within it play an essential role in preparing the female tract for a suitable immunologic environment but ...
Mizuguchi Y, Tsuzuki N, Ebana MD, Suzuki Y, Kakuda T. is an intracellular bacterium that causes suppurative pneumonia in foals. T-helper (Th) 1 cells play an important role in the protective response against . In mice and humans, the directionality of IgG switching reflects the polarization of Th-cell responses, but this has not been fully elucidated in horses. In this 4-year study, we classified -infected foals into surviving and non-surviving group and investigated differences in IgG subclass response to virulence-associated protein A, the main virulence factor of , between the groups. IgGa, IgGb, and IgG(T) titers were significantly higher in...
Hobbs KJ, Bayless R, Sheats MK.With the emergence of COVID-19, there is an increased focus in human literature on cytokine production, the implications of cytokine overproduction, and the development of novel cytokine-targeting therapies for use during sepsis. In addition to viral infections such as COVID-19, bacterial infections resulting in exposure to endotoxins and exotoxins in humans can also lead to sepsis, resulting in organ failure and death. Like humans, horses are exquisitely sensitive to endotoxin and are among the veterinary species that develop clinical sepsis similar to humans. These similarities suggest that ...
Ungri AM, Dos Santos Sabatke BF, Rossi IV, das Neves GB, Marques J, Ribeiro BG, Borges GK, Moreira RS, Ramírez MI, Miletti LC.Trypanosoma evansi is a unicellular protozoan responsible for causing a disease known as "surra," which is found in different regions of the world and primarily affects horses and camels. Few information is known about virulence factors released from the parasite within the animals. The organism can secrete extracellular vesicles (EVs), which transport a variety of molecules, including proteins. Before being considered exclusively as a means for eliminating unwanted substances, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as key players in intercellular communication, facilitating interactions be...
Woodrow JS, Hopster K, Palmisano M, Payette F, Kulp J, Stefanovski D, Nolen-Walston R.Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a common procedure for evaluation of the equine lower airways. Time to resolution of post-BAL inflammation has not been clearly defined. Objective: Residual inflammation, evident by changes in immune cell populations and inflammatory cytokines, will resolve by 72 hours after BAL. Methods: Six adult, healthy, institution-owned horses. Methods: Randomized, complete cross-over design. Each horse underwent 3 paired BALs, including a baseline and then 48, 72, and 96 hours later, with a 7-day washout between paired BALs. Each sample underwent cytological evaluatio...
Żak-Bochenek A, Żebrowska-Różańska P, Bajzert J, Siwińska N, Madej JP, Kaleta-Kuratewicz K, Bochen P, Łaczmański Ł, Chełmońska-Soyta A.In the gastrointestinal mucosa, there is a close cooperation between secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and the composition of the microbiota, which aims to maintain homeostasis as well as act as a protective barrier. The purpose of this study was to determine the composition of microbiota and SIgA production in different parts of the digestive tract (small intestine, cecum, colon and rectum) of nine healthy horses and its reflection in the feces. For this purpose, we determined: the composition of the microbiome (by next-generation Sequencing of Hypervariable Regions V3-V4 and V7-V9 of the 16...
Terpeluk ER, Schäfer J, Finkler-Schade C, Rauch E, Rohn K, Schuberth HJ.The quality of equine colostrum is typically defined by refractometry or the concentration of maternal antibodies. However, the activity of other equine colostral bioactive molecules has not yet been investigated. This study analyzed whether the administration of a fermentation product (SCFP) influences the biological activity of mare colostrum and whether the biological activity of colostrum has a lasting immunomodulating effect for foals. A total of fourteen pregnant mares received 20 g/day of a SCFP for a period of twelve weeks prior to the calculated date of birth (SCFP-group). Twelve pre...
Hollis AR.Despite the ubiquitous nature of sarcoids, robust data regarding the selection of treatment modalities are scarce, with many treatments having little or no published data to support their use. Treatment options are numerous and vary with the location and type of sarcoid, treatment accessibility, and the financial status of the owner. Many treatments are expensive and time-consuming, and some have health and safety implications. It is this author's belief that, based on the limited evidence base, appropriate treatment options vary with the location and type of the sarcoid, and no one treatment ...
Kasem S, Yu MHH, Alkhalefa N, Ata EB, Nayel M, Abdo W, Abdel-Moneim AS, Fukushi H.Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) causes respiratory illness, fetal loss, perinatal mortality, and myeloencephalopathy. This study investigated ORF15's impact on virus infectivity and neurovirulence. The Ab4p neurovirulent strain of EHV1 was used as a backbone to create Ab4p attB, Ab4p∆ORF15, and Ab4p∆ORF15R chimeras via BAC DNA transfection into RK-13 cells. Viral growth kinetics, plaque size, transcription, and growth were assessed in MDBK cells, mouse neurons, and fetal equine brain cells. Neurovirulence was evaluated post-intranasal inoculation into male CBA/N1 SPF mice, measuring signs, vi...
Holmes CM, Babasyan S, Eady N, Schnabel CL, Wagner B.Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is one of the most prevalent respiratory pathogens in horses with a high impact on animal health worldwide. Entry of the virus into epithelial cells of the upper respiratory tract and rapid local viral replication is followed by infection of local lymphoid tissues leading to cell-associated viremia and disease progression. Pre-existing mucosal immunity has previously been shown to reduce viral shedding and prevent viremia, consequently limiting severe disease manifestations. Here, nasopharyngeal transcriptomic profiling was used to identify differentially expr...
Wjst VF, Lübke S, Wagner B, Rhyner C, Jentsch MC, Arnold C, Lohmann KL, Schnabel CL.Equine asthma (EA) is a common disease of adult horses with chronic respiratory pathology and common neutrophilic airway inflammation. It presents with hyperreactivity to hay dust components such as molds, and underlying dysregulated T cell responses have been suggested. Thus far, T cells have been analysed in EA with conflicting results and the antigen reactivity of T cells has not been demonstrated. Serological and epidemiological data point to the relevance of as an antigen source in EA. Here, we aimed to identify and characterise antigen-reactive T cells in EA. Unassigned: Cryopreserved ...
Jia Q, Ren H, Zhang S, Yang H, Gao S, Fan R.All subtypes of () produce the alpha toxin (CPA), which can cause enteritis or enterotoxemia in lambs, cattle, pigs, and horses, as well as traumatic clostridial myonecrosis in humans and animals. CPA acts on cell membranes, ultimately leading to endocytosis and cell death. Therefore, the neutralization of CPA is crucial for the prevention and treatment of diseases caused by . In this study, utilizing CPA as an antigen, a nanobody (CPA-VHH) with a half-life of 2.9 h, an affinity constant (KD) of 0.9 nmol/L, and good stability below 60 °C was prepared from a natural nanobody library from alpa...
Billich C, Sauder C, Frank R, Herzog S, Bechter K, Takahashi K, Peters H, Staeheli P, Schwemmle M.The recent observation that Borna disease virus (BDV)-reactive antibodies from psychiatric patients exhibit only low avidity for BDV antigen called into question their diagnostic value and raised the possibility that antigenically related microorganisms or self antigens caused the production of these antibodies. We further characterized the specificity of these antibodies. Methods: We established a peptide array-based screening test that allows the identification of antibodies directed against linear epitopes of the two major BDV proteins, the nucleoprotein (N) and the phosphoprotein (P). Resu...
Clark KC, Kol A, Shahbenderian S, Granick JL, Walker NJ, Borjesson DL.Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy is being increasingly used to treat dogs and horses with naturally-occurring diseases. However these animals also serve as critical large animal models for ongoing translation of cell therapy products to the human market. MSC manufacture for clinical use mandates improvement in cell culture systems to meet demands for higher MSC numbers and removal of xeno-proteins (i.e. fetal bovine serum, FBS). While serum-free media (SFM) is commercially available, its affects on MSC phenotype and immunomodulatory functions are not fully known. The objective of this study...
Sykora S, Brandt S.Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a common disease that seriously impairs the health and welfare of affected horses and other equids. In humans, almost all cervical carcinomas, a high percentage of anogenital SCCs and a subset of SCCs of the head and neck are caused by high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection. Since hrHPV-induced human cancers and equine SCC have similar cytological and histopathological features, it has been hypothesised that equine SCCs could also be induced by papillomaviruses. This review provides an overview of the current evidence for an aetiological association b...
Rice NR, Lequarre AS, Casey JW, Lahn S, Stephens RM, Edwards J.The amount and distribution of viral DNA were established in a horse acutely infected with the Wyoming strain of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV). The highest concentration of viral DNA were found in the liver, lymph nodes, bone marrow, and spleen. The kidney, choroid plexus, and peripheral blood leukocytes also contained viral DNA, but at a lower level. It is estimated that at day 16 postinoculation, almost all of the viral DNA was located in the tissues, with the liver alone containing about 90 times more EIAV DNA than the peripheral blood leukocytes did. Assuming a monocyte-macrophage ...
Li X, Zhou SG, Imreh MP, Ahrlund-Richter L, Allen WR.Inner cell mass (ICM) cells were isolated immunosurgically from day 7-8 horse blastocysts and, after proliferation in vitro for 15-28 passages, three lines of cells were confirmed to be embryonic stem (ES) cells by their continued expression of alkaline phosphatase activity and their ability to bind antisera specific for the recognized stem cell markers, SSEA-1, TRA-1-60, TRA-1-81, and the key embryonic gene Oct-4. When maintained under feeder cell-free conditions in vitro, the three lines of cells differentiated into cells of ectodermal, endodermal, and mesodermal lineages. However, they did ...
Carpenter S, Chesebro B.Similar to other human and animal lentiviruses, equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is detectable in vivo in cells of the monocyte-macrophage lineage. Owing to their short-lived nature, horse peripheral blood macrophage cultures (HMC) are rarely used for in vitro propagation of EIAV, and equine dermal (ED) or kidney cell cultures, which can be repeatedly passed in vitro, are used in most studies. However, wild-type isolates of EIAV will not grow in these cell types without extensive adaptation, a process which may attenuate viral virulence. To better define the effect of host cell tropism on...
Renzi S, Riccò S, Dotti S, Sesso L, Grolli S, Cornali M, Carlin S, Patruno M, Cinotti S, Ferrari M.The use of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) in orthopedic practice has recently and rapidly acquired an important role. Therapies based on the use of MSCs for the treatment of acute injuries as well as chronic inflammatory disorders are gradually becoming clinical routine. These cells have demonstrated intriguing therapeutic potentialities (i.e.: inflammation control, tissue regeneration and pathological scar prevention), that have been taken into consideration for use in both human and veterinary medicine. In particular, horses represent high performance athletes considered models for human p...
Whalley JM, Robertson GR, Scott NA, Hudson GC, Bell CW, Woodworth LM.A gene in equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1; equine abortion virus) equivalent to the gB glycoprotein gene of herpes simplex virus (HSV) has been identified by DNA hybridization and nucleotide sequencing. A 4.3 kbp EHV-1 PstI-ClaI sequence (0.40 to 0.43 map units) contained an open reading frame flanked by appropriate control elements and was capable of encoding a polypeptide of 980 amino acids. This had 50 to 60% identity over a 617 amino acid conserved region with the gB gene products of HSV and three other alphaherpesviruses, and 20 to 30% identity with those of human cytomegalovirus and Epstein-...
Sánchez MD, Pierson TC, Degrace MM, Mattei LM, Hanna SL, Del Piero F, Doms RW.A major neutralizing epitope (here referred to as the T332 epitope) located on the lateral surface of domain III (DIII) of the West Nile virus (WNV) envelope protein has been identified based on the analysis of murine monoclonal antibodies. However, little is known about the humoral immune response against WNV in a natural host or whether DIII in general or the T332 epitope in particular are important targets of neutralizing antibodies in vivo. To characterize the types of antibodies produced during infection with WNV, we studied a group of naturally infected horses. Using immune adsorption as...
Bruhn O, Grötzinger J, Cascorbi I, Jung S.Antimicrobial peptides play a pivotal role as key effectors of the innate immune system in plants and animals and act as endogenous antibiotics. The molecules exhibit an antimicrobial activity against bacteria, viruses, and eukaryotic pathogens with different specificities and potencies depending on the structure and amino-acid composition of the peptides. Several antimicrobial peptides were comprehensively investigated in the last three decades and some molecules with remarkable antimicrobial properties have reached the third phase of clinical studies. Next to the peptides themselves, numerou...
Horohov DW.The modern horse, Equus caballus has historically made important contributions to the field of immunology, dating back to Emil von Behring's description of curative antibodies in equine serum over a century ago. While the horse continues to play an important role in human serotherapy, the mouse has replaced the horse as the predominant experimental animal in immunology research. Nevertheless, continuing efforts have led to an improved understanding of the equine immune response in a variety of infectious and non-infectious diseases. Based on this information, we can begin to identify specific ...
Forrester NL, Kenney JL, Deardorff E, Wang E, Weaver SC.The incidence of Western Equine Encephalitis (WEE) in humans and equids peaked during the mid-20th century and has declined to fewer than 1-2 human cases annually during the past 20 years. Using the mouse model, changes in WEE virus (WEEV) virulence were investigated as a potential explanation for the decline in the number of cases. Evaluation of 10 WEEV strains representing a variety of isolation locations, hosts, and all decades from the 1940's to the 1990's yielded no evidence of a decline in virulence. These results suggest that ecological factors affecting human and equine exposure should...
Bilzer T, Planz O, Lipkin WI, Stitz L.Tissues from 9 horses and 1 donkey suffering from natural Borna disease were investigated immunomorphologically. Lymphocytic inflammatory reactions and increased expressions of MHC class I and class II antigen were found in the brain as well as in the trigeminal and olfactory system. Perivascular inflammatory infiltrates were dominated by CD4+ T cells, whereas the majority of CD8+ T cells were disseminated intraparenchymally. No evidence of inflammation was found in the retina. Borna disease virus proteins and nucleic acids were present in the hippocampus, thalamus and medulla oblongata in all...
McFarlane D, Dybdal N, Donaldson MT, Miller L, Cribb AE.Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is a spontaneously occurring progressive disease affecting aged horses and ponies. The pathogenesis of PPID is poorly understood, but the available evidence supports a loss of dopaminergic inhibition of the melanotropes of the pars intermedia. Horses with PPID have increased plasma concentrations of pars intermedia pro-opiomelanocortin-derived peptides that decrease in response to dopamine or dopamine agonist administration. Dopamine and dopamine metabolite concentrations are decreased in the pars intermedia of affected horses compared to age...
Ludwig H, Furuya K, Bode L, Klein N, Dürrwald R, Lee DS.Borna disease viruses (BDV) isolated from more than 20 naturally infected horses, 2 sheep and a possible feline isolate were included in these studies. Most of these wild-type viruses were grown in rabbit cells. Specifically rabbit-adapted viruses establish persistent infection in immortalized cell lines of various animal species. Brain-, tissue culture-, and cell-free released viruses could all be neutralized with antibodies from naturally and experimentally infected animals (horse; hamster, rat, rabbit, mouse, and chicken), with highest titres in birds. Splenectomized rabbits, which were sub...
Orrego A, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC, Adams WV.Five serial passages of a cell-adapted strain of equine infectious anemia (EIA) virus were conducted in Shetland ponies. The 13 recipient ponies became agar-gel immunodiffusion test-positive by 25 days after they were inoculated. The virulence of the cell-adapted strain of EIA virus markedly increased through 3 serial passages, although individual variation within passages was high. The 1st serial-passage recipient remained afebrile through 200 days, whereas a febrile episode occurred about every 185, 44, 35, and 33 days in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th serial-passage recipients, respectively. Se...
Kouam MK, Diakou A, Kanzoura V, Papadopoulos E, Gajadhar AA, Theodoropoulos G.The role of horses in the transmission of parasitic zoonoses either as a source of infection to vectors or through contamination of definitive hosts is gaining importance worldwide. For this reason sera from 773 equids including 753 horses, 13 mules and seven ponies in four regions of Greece were investigated by ELISA for the presence of IgG antibodies against Toxoplasma, Leishmania, Echinococcus and Trichinella. Anti-Toxoplasma antibodies were detected in all regions with an overall prevalence of 1.8%. In contrast, antibodies to Leishmania, Echinococcus, and Trichinella were present only in h...
de Jong NWM, Vrieling M, Garcia BL, Koop G, Brettmann M, Aerts PC, Ruyken M, van Strijp JAG, Holmes M, Harrison EM, Geisbrecht BV, Rooijakkers SHM.Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile pathogen capable of causing a broad range of diseases in many different hosts. S. aureus can adapt to its host through modification of its genome (e.g. by acquisition and exchange of mobile genetic elements that encode host-specific virulence factors). Recently, the prophage φSaeq1 was discovered in S. aureus strains from six different clonal lineages almost exclusively isolated from equids. Within this phage, we discovered a novel variant of staphylococcal complement inhibitor (SCIN), a secreted protein that interferes with activation of the human complem...
Derse D, Carvalho M, Carroll R, Peterlin BM.Transcriptional regulatory mechanisms found in lentiviruses employ RNA enhancer elements called trans-activation responsive (TAR) elements. These nascent RNA stem-loops are cis-acting targets of virally encoded Tat effectors. Interactions between Tat and TAR increase the processivity of transcription complexes and lead to efficient copying of viral genomes. To study essential elements of this trans activation, peptide motifs from Tats of two distantly related lentiviruses, equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), were fused to the coat protein of b...
Eder C, Crameri R, Mayer C, Eicher R, Straub R, Gerber H, Lazary S, Marti E.Immunoglobulin E antibody (IgE) levels against four recombinant (r) mould allergens (r-Aspergillus fumigatus [rAsp f] 7, 8 and 9; r-Alternaria alternata 1 [rAlta1]) and crude mould (Aspergillus fumigatus, Alternaria alternata, Penicillium notatum) and storage mite extracts were determined by ELISA in sera from 24 pulmonary sound control horses and 26 horses suffering from chronic bronchitis/bronchiolitis (CB), also called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Serum IgG and IgA titres were also determined against Aspergillus fumigatus extract and rAsp f 8.IgE against the crude extracts ...
Rash A, Morton R, Woodward A, Maes O, McCauley J, Bryant N, Elton D.Equine influenza viruses (EIV) are a major cause of acute respiratory disease in horses worldwide and occasionally also affect vaccinated animals. Like other influenza A viruses, they undergo antigenic drift, highlighting the importance of both surveillance and virus characterisation in order for vaccine strains to be kept up to date. The aim of the work reported here was to monitor the genetic and antigenic changes occurring in EIV circulating in the UK from 2013 to 2015 and to identify any evidence of vaccine breakdown in the field. Virus isolation, reverse transcription polymerase chain rea...
Summerfield A, Auray G, Ricklin M.Dendritic cells (DC) have a main function in innate immunity in that they sense infections and environmental antigens at the skin and mucosal surfaces and thereby critically influence decisions about immune activation or tolerance. As professional antigen-presenting cells, they are essential for induction of adaptive immune responses. Consequently, knowledge on this cell type is required to understand the immune systems of veterinary mammals, including cattle, sheep, pigs, dogs, cats, and horses. Recent ontogenic studies define bona fide DC as an independent lineage of hematopoietic cells orig...
Garner MR, Flint JF, Russell JB.When cattle and horses are fed large amounts of grain, histamine can accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract, and this accumulation can cause an acute inflammation of the hooves (laminitis). When ruminal fluid from dairy cattle fed grain supplements was serially diluted in anaerobic MRS medium containing histidine (50 mM), histamine was detected at dilutions as high as 10(-7). The histidine enrichments were then transferred successively in an anaerobic, carbonate-based medium (50 mM histidine) without glucose. The histamine producing bacteria could not be isolated from the rumens of cattle fe...
Jensen-Jarolim E, Pacios LF, Bianchini R, Hofstetter G, Roth-Walter F.Owners and their domestic animals via skin shedding and secretions, mutually exchange microbiomes, potential pathogens and innate immune molecules. Among the latter especially lipocalins are multifaceted: they may have an immunomodulatory function and, furthermore, they represent one of the most important animal allergen families. The amino acid identities, as well as their structures by superposition modeling were compared among human lipocalins, hLCN1 and hLCN2, and most important animal lipocalin allergens, such as Can f 1, Can f 2 and Can f 4 from dog, Fel d 4 from cats, Bos d 5 from cow's...
Mumford JA, Wilson H, Hannant D, Jessett DM.Equine influenza vaccines containing inactivated whole virus and Carbomer adjuvant stimulated higher levels and longer lasting antibody to haemagglutinin in ponies than vaccines of equivalent antigenic content containing aluminium phosphate adjuvants. Five months after the third dose of vaccine containing Carbomer adjuvant, ponies were protected against clinical disease induced by an aerosol of virulent influenza virus (A/equine/Newmarket/79, H3N8). In contrast ponies which received vaccine containing aluminium phosphate adjuvant were susceptible to infection and disease. There was an inverse ...
Bonnefoy A, Romijn RA, Vandervoort PA, VAN Rompaey I, Vermylen J, Hoylaerts MF.Binding of von Willebrand factor (VWF) to platelet GPIbalpha and to collagen is attributed to VWF A1 and A3 domains, respectively. Objective: Using VWF, VWF lacking A1 (DeltaA1-VWF) or A3 (DeltaA3-VWF) and VWF with defective A3 (H1786A-VWF), in combination with recombinant A1 (residues 1262-1492) or A3 (residues 1671-1878), fused to glutathione-S-transferase (GST-A1 and GST-A3), we have re-investigated the role of A1 in platelet recruitment to surfaces of collagen. Results: In flow, measurable binding of DeltaA3-VWF occurred to horse tendon, but also to human type III collagen. GST-A1 and GST-...
Kanaly ST, Hines SA, Palmer GH.Rhodococcus equi, a facultative intracellular bacterium, causes chronic, often fatal granulomatous pneumonia in young horses and in humans with AIDS. The inability of host alveolar macrophages to kill intracellular R. equi results in the development of granulomas and progressive loss of pulmonary parenchyma. Clearance of the organism from the lung requires functional CD4+ T cells. The purpose of this study was to identify the cytokine effector mechanisms that mediate clearance of R. equi from the lung. Mice were treated with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to either gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) o...
Ríos Carrasco M, Gröne A, van den Brand JMA, de Vries RP.Influenza A viruses (IAVs) from the H5N1 2.3.4.4b clade are circulating in dairy farms in the USA.; ruminants were presumed not to be hosts for IAVs. Previously, IAV-positive mammalian species were hunters and scavengers, possibly getting infected while feeding on infected birds. It is now recognized that H5N1 viruses that circulate in US dairy cattle transmit through a mammary gland route, in contrast to transmission by aerosols via the respiratory tract. The sialome in the cow mammary and respiratory tract is so far solely defined using plant lectins. Here, we used recombinant HA proteins re...
Mueller RS, Janda J, Jensen-Jarolim E, Rhyner C, Marti E.Allergic diseases in animals are increasingly gaining importance in veterinary practice and as research models. For intradermal testing and allergen immunotherapy, a good knowledge of relevant allergens for the individual species is of great importance. Currently, the knowledge about relevant veterinary allergens is based on sensitization rates identified by intradermal testing or serum testing for allergen-specific IgE; crude extracts are the basis for most evaluations. Only a few studies provide evidence about the molecular structure of (particularly) dust mite, insect and mould allergens in...
Dutta SK, Myrup AC, Rice RM, Robl MG, Hammond RC.Potomac horse fever, a recently recognized disease of equines, characterized by high fever, leukopenia, and a profuse diarrhea, was studied for its etiology. An Ehrlichia organism was isolated in equine macrophage-fibroblast cell cultures and mouse macrophage cell cultures from the mononuclear cells of blood of infected horses. The agent was continuously propagated in mouse macrophage cell cultures. The organism multiplied in the cytoplasm of mouse macrophage cells and was identified by Giemsa staining, acridine orange staining, and by indirect immunofluorescence with convalescent sera from in...
