Topic:Inflammation

Obesity during Pregnancy in the Horse: Effect on Term Placental Structure and Gene Expression, as Well as Colostrum and Milk Fatty Acid Concentration.
Veterinary sciences    December 4, 2023   Volume 10, Issue 12 691 doi: 10.3390/vetsci10120691
Robles M, Rousseau-Ralliard D, Dubois C, Josse T, Nouveau u00c9, Dahirel M, Wimel L, Couturier-Tarrade A, Chavatte-Palmer P.In horses, the prevalence of obesity is high and associated with serious metabolic pathologies. Being a broodmare has been identified as a risk factor for obesity. In other species, maternal obesity is known to affect the development of the offspring. This article is a follow-up study of previous work showing that Obese mares (O, n = 10, body condition score > 4.25 at insemination) were more insulin resistant and presented increased systemic inflammation during pregnancy compared to Normal mares (N, n = 14, body condition score < 4 at insemination). Foals born to O mares were more insuli...
Early Castration in Horses Does Not Impact Osteoarticular Metabolism.
International journal of molecular sciences    November 26, 2023   Volume 24, Issue 23 16778 doi: 10.3390/ijms242316778
Rouge M, Legendre F, Elkhatib R, Delalande C, Cogniu00e9 J, Reigner F, Barriu00e8re P, Deleuze S, Hanoux V, Galu00e9ra P, Bourau00efma-Lelong H.The castration of stallions is traditionally performed after puberty, at around the age of 2 years old. No studies have focused on the effects of early castration on osteoarticular metabolism. Thus, we aimed to compare early castration (3 days after birth) with traditional castration (18 months of age) in horses. Testosterone and estradiol levels were monitored from birth to 33 months in both groups. We quantified the levels of biomarkers of cartilage and bone anabolism (CPII and N-MID) and catabolism (CTX-I and CTX-II), as well as of osteoarthritis (HA and COMP) and inflammation (IL-6 and PGE...
A preliminary investigation of the subcutaneous tissue reaction to a 3D printed polydioxanone device in horses.
Acta veterinaria Scandinavica    November 20, 2023   Volume 65, Issue 1 48 doi: 10.1186/s13028-023-00710-0
Sju00f6berg I, Law E, Su00f6dersten F, Hu00f6glund OV, Wattle O.A 3D printed self-locking device made of polydioxanone (PDO) was developed to facilitate a standardized ligation technique. The subcutaneous tissue reaction to the device was evaluated after implantation in ten horses of mixed age, sex and breed and compared to loops of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). In two of the horses, the implants were removed before closing the skin. The appearance of the implants and surrounding tissue was followed over time using ultrasonography. Implants were removed after 10 and 27 (± 1) days for histologic examination. Results: On macroscopic inspection at ...
Equine sarcoids: A clinicopathologic study of 49 cases, with mitotic count and clinical type predictive of recurrence.
Veterinary pathology    November 8, 2023   3009858231209408 doi: 10.1177/03009858231209408
Karalus W, Subharat S, Orbell G, Vaatstra B, Munday JS.Sarcoids are common mesenchymal neoplasms of horses. Although there are few studies in which sarcoids have been followed over a long period of time, sarcoids are considered locally invasive and have been reported to frequently recur following surgical excision. Currently, no histological features have been identified to predict which sarcoids will recur after excision. The present study comprised 49 sarcoids for which histology sections were available and in which the recurrence status of the case was known. Each sarcoid was excised from a different horse. Overall, 12 of the 49 (24%) sarcoids ...
Effects of soaked hay on lung function and airway inflammation in horses with severe asthma.
Journal of veterinary internal medicine    November 6, 2023   doi: 10.1111/jvim.16919
Westerfeld R, Payette F, Dubuc V, Manguin E, Picotte K, Beauchamp G, Bu00e9dard C, Leclere M.Reducing inhaled dust particles improves lung function in horses with severe asthma. Soaked hay is commonly used by owners, but its efficacy in improving lung function and inflammation has not been documented. Objective: To measure the effects of soaked hay and alfalfa pellets in horses with severe asthma. Methods: Ten adult horses with severe asthma from a research colony. Methods: Prospective controlled trial. Horses in clinical exacerbation were housed indoors and allocated to be fed either soaked hay (n = 5) or alfalfa pellets (n = 5) for 6 weeks. Soaked hay was immersed for 45�...
Effects of dietary camelina, flaxseed, and canola oil supplementation on transepidermal water loss, skin and coat health parameters, and plasma prostaglandin E2, glycosaminoglycan, and nitric oxide concentrations in healthy adult horses.
Journal of animal science    November 4, 2023   skad373 doi: 10.1093/jas/skad373
Richards T, Burron S, McCorkell TC, Trevizan L, Patterson K, Minikhiem D, Ma DWL, Pearson W, Shoveller AK.Camelina oil is derived from a low-input, high-yield crop and, in comparison to many other dietary fat sources currently used in equine diets, provides a greater amount of α-linolenic acid [ALA; (n-3)], than linoleic acid [LA; (n-6)]. However, no research exists assessing the effects of feeding camelina oil to horses in contrast to other commonly used oils. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of supplementing camelina oil to that of flaxseed and canola oil supplementation, on outcomes related to skin and coat health in horses. Thirty adult horses [23 mares, 7 geldings; 14.9 ...
Treatment of Naturally Occurring Tendon Disease with Allogeneic Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: A Randomized, Controlled, Triple-Blinded Pilot Study in Horses.
Cells    October 24, 2023   Volume 12, Issue 21 2513 doi: 10.3390/cells12212513
Burk J, Wittenberg-Voges L, Schubert S, Horstmeier C, Brehm W, Geburek F.The treatment of tendinopathies with multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is a promising option in equine and human medicine. However, conclusive clinical evidence is lacking. The purpose of this study was to gain insight into clinical treatment efficacy and to identify suitable outcome measures for larger clinical studies. Fifteen horses with early naturally occurring tendon disease were assigned to intralesional treatment with allogeneic adipose-derived MSCs suspended in serum or with serum alone through block randomization (dosage adapted to lesion size). Clinicians and horse owners...
Evaluation of oxidative stress in foals with Rhodococcus equi infection-induced pneumonia for the judgment of therapeutic effect.
The Journal of veterinary medical science    October 17, 2023   Volume 85, Issue 12 1277-1280 doi: 10.1292/jvms.23-0260
Tsuzuki N, Maruko T, Takeyama A, Ikeda H, Mizuguchi Y.Forty-five foals with Rhodococcus equi infection and pneumonia symptoms were classified into a surviving group and a dead group. Using serum samples, the oxidative stress index (OSI) was determined at the first visit and the follow-up visit. The OSI of the surviving group was significantly lower at the follow-up than that at the first visit. No significant difference was observed between the OSI of the dead group at the first and follow-up visits. In the surviving group, treatment at the first visit mitigated inflammation and reduced OSI. However, in the dead group, poor response to the treatm...
A Translational Model for Repeated Episodes of Joint Inflammation: Welfare, Clinical and Synovial Fluid Biomarker Assessment.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 12, 2023   Volume 13, Issue 20 3190 doi: 10.3390/ani13203190
Kearney CM, Korthagen NM, Plomp SGM, Labbertu00e9 MC, de Grauw JC, van Weeren PR, Brama PAJ.This study investigates repeated low-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injections in equine joints as a model for recurrent joint inflammation and its impact on animal welfare. Joint inflammation was induced in eight horses by injecting 0.25 ng of LPS three times at two-week intervals. Welfare scores and clinical parameters were recorded at baseline and over 168 h post-injection. Serial synoviocentesis was performed for the analysis of a panel of synovial fluid biomarkers of inflammation and cartilage turnover. Clinical parameters and a final synoviocentesis were also performed eight weeks after t...
Characterization of gastrointestinal inflammatory cell type in equine glandular gastric disease.
American journal of veterinary research    October 11, 2023   Volume 84, Issue 12 ajvr.23.06.0129 doi: 10.2460/ajvr.23.06.0129
Banse HE, Piero FD, Andrews FM, Garcia-Abarca N, Watanabe TTN.To compare small intestinal inflammation with gastric inflammation in horses with and without equine gastric glandular disease (EGGD), we evaluated endoscopic, macroscopic, and microscopic findings of the glandular stomach and microscopic findings of the small intestine. Methods: 36 horses. Methods: Horses underwent endoscopy and were scored for EGGD. After euthanasia, stomachs were collected and macroscopically evaluated. Normal pyloric mucosa, glandular lesions, and small intestinal (duodenum, mid-jejunum, and ileum) samples were collected and processed for microscopic examination. Cellular ...
Intra-articular bone marrow mononuclear cell therapy improves lameness from naturally occurring equine osteoarthritis.
Frontiers in veterinary science    October 9, 2023   Volume 10 1256284 doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1256284
Everett JB, Menarim BC, Barrett SH, Bogers SH, Byron CR, Pleasant RS, Werre SR, Dahlgren LA.Osteoarthritis (OA) can be debilitating and is related to impaired resolution of synovial inflammation. Current treatments offer temporary relief of clinical signs, but have potentially deleterious side effects. Bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMNC) are a rich source of macrophage progenitors that have the ability to reduce OA symptoms in people and inflammation in experimentally-induced synovitis in horses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of intra-articular BMNC therapy to improve clinical signs of naturally occurring equine OA. Horses presenting with clinical and radio...
The PTP1B Inhibitor Trodusquemine (MSI-1436) Improves Glucose Uptake in Equine Metabolic Syndrome Affected Liver through Anti-Inflammatory and Antifibrotic Activity.
International journal of inflammation    September 30, 2023   Volume 2023 3803056 doi: 10.1155/2023/3803056
Bourebaba L, Serwotka-Suszczak A, Bourebaba N, Zyzak M, Marycz K.Hyperactivation of protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP1B) has been associated with several metabolic malfunctions ranging from insulin resistance, metaflammation, lipotoxicity, and hyperglycaemia. Liver metabolism failure has been proposed as a core element in underlying endocrine disorders through persistent inflammation and highly fibrotic phenotype. Unassigned: In this study, the outcomes of PTP1B inhibition using trodusquemine (MSI-1436) on key equine metabolic syndrome (EMS)-related alterations including inflammation, fibrosis, and glucose uptake have been analyzed in liver explants collect...
Single-cell transcriptomics delineates the immune cell landscape in equine lower airways and reveals upregulation of FKBP5 in horses with asthma.
Scientific reports    September 27, 2023   Volume 13, Issue 1 16261 doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-43368-4
Riihimu00e4ki M, Fegraeus K, Nordlund J, Waern I, Wernersson S, Akula S, Hellman L, Raine A.Equine asthma (EA) is a heterogenous, complex disease, with a significant negative impact on horse welfare and performance. EA and human asthma share fundamental similarities, making EA a useful model for studying the disease. One relevant sample type for investigating chronic lung inflammation is bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), which provides a snapshot of the immune cells present in the alveolar space. To investigate the immune cell landscape of the respiratory tract in horses with mild-to-moderate equine asthma (mEA) and healthy controls, single-cell RNA sequencing was conducted on equ...
Transcriptomic profiling of mare endometrium at different stages of endometrosis.
Scientific reports    September 27, 2023   Volume 13, Issue 1 16263 doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-43359-5
Szu00f3stek-Mioduchowska A, Wu00f3jtowicz A, Sadowska A, Moza Jalali B, Su0142yszewska M, u0141ukasik K, Gurgul A, Szmatou0142a T....In the current study, transcriptome profiles of mare endometrium, classified into categories I, IIA, and IIB according to Kenney and Doig, were compared using RNA sequencing, analyzed, and functionally annotated using in silico analysis. In the mild stage (IIA) of endometrosis compared to category I endometrium, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were annotated to inflammation, abnormal metabolism, wound healing, and quantity of connective tissue. In the moderate stage (IIB) of endometrosis compared to category I endometrium, DEGs were annotated to inflammation, fibrosis, cellular home...
MicroRNAs in equine Endometritis: A review of pathophysiology and molecular insights for diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
International immunopharmacology    September 17, 2023   Volume 124, Issue Pt B 110949 doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.110949
Asif S, Umar T, Umar Z, Jamil H, Feng H, Zhang P, Umer S.Endometritis plays an important role in mare infertility. Certain infectious agents interfere with the innate immune system of endometrium, causing a systemic inflammatory response that lasts for a long time and circulates via the blood or cellular degeneration, leading to endometritis due to bacterial endotoxins. Different small, non-coding RNA molecules are involved in many biological functions. For instance, microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. These miRNAs are important regulators of gene expression, primarily via inhibiting transcripti...
Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) mitigates ER stress and improves viability and insulin sensitivity in adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASC) of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS)-affected horses.
Cell communication and signaling : CCS    September 11, 2023   Volume 21, Issue 1 230 doi: 10.1186/s12964-023-01254-6
Bourebaba N, Sikora M, Qasem B, Bourebaba L, Marycz K.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), which encompasses insulin resistance, low-grade inflammation and predisposition to laminitis is a critical endocrine disorder among the most prevalent conditions affecting horses from different breeds. According to the most recent research, low human sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) serum levels correlate with an increased risk of obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes, and may contribute to overall metabolic dysregulations. This study aimed to test whether exogenous SHBG could protect EMS affected adipose-derived stromal stem cells (EqASC) from apoptosis,...
Longitudinal effects of oral administration of antimicrobial drugs on fecal microbiota of horses.
Journal of veterinary internal medicine    September 8, 2023   doi: 10.1111/jvim.16853
Gomez D, Toribio R, Caddey B, Costa M, Vijan S, Dembek K.Antimicrobial drug-associated diarrhea (AAD) is the most common adverse effect in horses receiving antimicrobials. Little information on how oral administration of antimicrobials alters intestinal microbiota in horses is available. Objective: Investigate changes of the fecal microbiota in response to oral administration of antimicrobials. Methods: Twenty healthy horses. Methods: Prospective, longitudinal study. Horses were randomly assigned to 4 groups comprising 4 horses each: group 1 (metronidazole); group 2 (erythromycin); group 3 (doxycycline); group 4 (sulfadiazine/trimethoprim, SMZ-TMP);...
Adaptation strategies of the Icelandic horse with induced forelimb lameness at walk, trot and tölt.
Equine veterinary journal    September 7, 2023   doi: 10.1111/evj.13998
Smit IH, Hernlund E, Persson-Sjodin E, Bju00f6rnsdu00f3ttir S, Gunnarsdottir H, Gunnarsson V, Rhodin M, Serra Braganca FM.Lameness assessment in the gaited Icelandic horse is complex. We aimed to describe their kinematic and temporal adaptation strategies in response to forelimb lameness at walk, trot and tölt. Methods: In vivo experiment. Methods: Ten clinically non-lame Icelandic horses were measured before and after reversible forelimb lameness induction. Upper body and limb kinematics were measured using 11 inertial measurement units mounted on the poll, withers, pelvis (tubera sacrale) and all four limbs and hoofs (Equimoves®, 500 Hz). Horses were measured on a straight line at walk and trot in-hand and ...
Visualizing neutrophil extracellular traps in septic equine synovial and peritoneal fluid samples using immunofluorescence microscopy. Birckhead EM, Das S, Tidd N, Raidal SL, Raidal SR.Septic synovitis and peritonitis are routinely diagnosed in horses based on clinical examination findings and laboratory assessment of synoviocentesis and abdominocentesis samples, respectively. Diagnosis is difficult in some cases because of an overlap in laboratory results for septic and non-septic inflammation. Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation is part of the innate immune response against pathogens. Identifying and quantifying NETs, which have not been explored in clinical samples from horses with septic synovitis and peritonitis, to our knowledge, may be helpful in detecting i...
Targeting eosinophils by active vaccination against interleukin-5 reduces basophil counts in horses with insect bite hypersensitivity in the 2nd year of vaccination
Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)    September 2, 2023   Volume 300-302 106027 doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2023.106027
Rhiner T, Fettelschoss V, Schoster A, Birkmann K, Fettelschoss-Gabriel A.Previously, virus-like particle (VLP)-based self-vaccinations targeting interleukin (IL)-5 or IL-31 have been suggested to treat equine insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), a seasonal recurrent allergic dermatitis in horses. The IL-5-targeting equine vaccine significantly reduced blood eosinophil counts in horses, similar to human monoclonal antibodies targeting IL-5 or the IL-5 receptor alpha (IL-5Rα). Previous studies in humans have also reported an additional effect on reduction of basophil counts. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether an equine anti-IL-5 vaccine affected blo...
Effect of pro-inflammatory cytokine priming and storage temperature of the mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) secretome on equine articular chondrocytes.
Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology    August 31, 2023   Volume 11 1204737 doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1204737
Jammes M, Contentin R, Audigiu00e9 F, Cassu00e9 F, Galu00e9ra P. Osteoarthritis (OA) is an invalidating articular disease characterized by cartilage degradation and inflammatory events. In horses, OA is associated with up to 60% of lameness and leads to reduced animal welfare along with extensive economic losses; currently, there are no curative therapies to treat OA. The mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) secretome exhibits anti-inflammatory properties, making it an attractive candidate for improving the management of OA. In this study, we determined the best storage conditions for conditioned media (CMs) and tested whether priming MSCs with cytokines can enh...
Immunohistochemical Assessment of GDNF and Chromogranin A Expression in Erosive and Granulomatous Lesions in Glandular Region of Equine Stomach.
Archives of Razi Institute    August 31, 2023   Volume 78, Issue 4 1365-1377 doi: 10.32592/ARI.2023.78.4.1365
Asgari P, Amniattalab A.The equine stomach consists of two separate non-glandular and glandular sections. Despite the incidence of most lesions in the non-glandular region, both stomach parts are prone to lesions. In this study, 41 hybrid-native horses, including 24 stallions and 17 mares, were examined over five years. In total, 27 horses (65.85%) that were sampled had lesions, including erosion, granuloma, or both on the glandular region of the stomach. Occurrence of gastric erosive and granulomatous lesions had no significant relationship with the age and gender of horses or the sampling season (>0.05). Moreove...
Regulatory T lymphocytes and selected cytokines in horses with mild to severe equine asthma and different inflammatory cytology profiles.
Research in veterinary science    August 25, 2023   Volume 163 104998 doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2023.104998
Hamouzovu00e1 P, Dru00e1bkovu00e1 Z, Stehlu00edkovu00e1 u0160, u0158ehu00e1kovu00e1 K, u010cu00edu017eek P, Dobeu0161ovu00e1 O, Jahn P, Doubek J.This study determined Tregs and inflammatory cytokines in BALF and peripheral blood (PB) of adult horses with mild and severe asthma and different BALF cytological inflammation profiles. Horses of diverse breeds with asthma (age range: 2-20 years, n = 24) were divided into groups according to the number of points obtained in a standardized clinical scoring system (mild-moderate equine asthma - MEA, severe equine asthma - SEA) and according to the inflammation type based on cytological finding. Plasma levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17 and MMP-9 in the BALF were determined by ELISA. Tregs ...
Interleukin 5-dependent inflammatory eosinophil subtype involved in allergic insect bite hypersensitivity of horses.
Allergy    August 22, 2023   doi: 10.1111/all.15859
Pantelyushin S, Rhiner T, Jebbawi F, Sella F, Waldern N, Lam J, Chemnitzer A, Fricker A, Schoster A, Birkmann K, Widmer D, Canonica F....No abstract available
Findings consistent with equine proximal suspensory desmitis can be reliably detected using computed tomography and differ between affected horses and controls. Mu00fcller EMT, Vanderperren K, Merle R, Rheinfeld S, Leelamankong P, Lischer CJ, Ehrle A.The objective of this retrospective, observational, controlled study was to evaluate bone and soft tissue window CT images of the proximoplantar metatarsus III region in twenty horses with pain localized to the proximal suspensory ligament (PSL) and 20 horses with findings nonrelated to tarsal pain. All horses underwent CT and radiographic examination. Images were reviewed by three independent observers who graded the severity and localization of findings. Bone-related categories as well as soft tissue-related categories were evaluated. For the comparison of imaging findings in horses with and...
Use of Biologics and Stem Cells in the Treatment of Other Inflammatory Diseases in the Horse.
The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice    August 20, 2023   S0749-0739(23)00052-4 doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2023.07.004
Barrett JG, MacDonald ES.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are powerful immunomodulatory cells that act via multiple mechanisms to coordinate, inhibit, and control the cells of the immune system. MSCs act as rescuers for various damaged or degenerated cells of the body via (1) cytokines, growth factors, and signaling molecules; (2) extracellular vesicle (exosome) signaling; and (3) direct donation of mitochondria. Several studies evaluating the efficacy of MSCs have used MSCs grown using xenogeneic media, which may reduce or eliminate efficacy. Although more research is needed to optimize the anti-inflammatory potential o...
Evaluation of a novel real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for identifying H3 equine influenza virus in Kazakhstan.
Veterinary world    August 19, 2023   Volume 16, Issue 8 1682-1689 doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2023.1682-1689
Sandybayev N, Strochkov V, Beloussov V, Orkara S, Kydyrmanov A, Khan Y, Batanova Z, Kassenov M.Equine influenza (EI) is a highly contagious disease that causes fever and upper respiratory tract inflammation. It is caused by influenza virus A, belonging to the family, with subtypes H3N8 and H7N7. This study presents data on the development of a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay using TaqMan probes to detect the H3 subtype of EI virus (EIV). Unassigned: The evaluation of the developed RT-PCR assay involved five strains of EIV as positive controls and ten nasopharyngeal swab samples collected from horses. RNA was isolated using the GeneJet Viral DNA and RNA Purification K...
Case Report in Equine: Highlighting the Benefits of Medisca CopaSil in Burn Scar Management.
International journal of pharmaceutical compounding    August 18, 2023   Volume 27, Issue 4 270-276 
Heuerman J, Haiub H, Cull E, Lupatini R, Shrum B, Sidhu R.In this case report, we highlight the benefits of Medisca CopaSil application for scar healing in a horse having sustained second-degree burn injuries covering most of its back. The application of CopaSil started three months after sustaining the burn injury when silver sulfadiazine topical cream treatment showed no significant improvement. CopaSil is formulated with ingredients that may help in reducing inflammation and accelerate healing by modulating the immune response. After using CopaSil for six months, the horse's back was healed, and the hair began to regrow. The complete healing...
Transcriptomic signature related to poor welfare of sport horses.
Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology    August 17, 2023   Volume 16 100201 doi: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2023.100201
Foury A, Mach N, Ruet A, Lansade L, Moisan MP.The improvement of horse welfare through housing conditions has become a real issue in recent years and have highlighted the detrimental effect of individual housing of horses on their health and behaviour. In this new study, we analysed the blood transcriptome of 45 sport horses housed individually that were previously examined for their behaviour and gut microbiota. We performed differential and regression analyses of gene expression, followed by downstream bioinformatic analyses, to unveil the molecular pathways related to the behavioural changes associated with welfare impairment in these ...
Bronchoalveolar Lavage Cytology in Severe Equine Asthma: Cytocentrifugated versus Sediment Smear Preparations.
Veterinary sciences    August 16, 2023   Volume 10, Issue 8 527 doi: 10.3390/vetsci10080527
Morini M, Gobbo F, Rinnovati R, Romagnoli N, Peli A, Massarenti C, Spadari A, Pietra M.Equine asthma is a common respiratory disease that may affect horses of any age. The diagnosis of severe equine asthma (SEA) (historically referred as recurrent airway obstruction or RAO) is based mainly on the history of the animal and clinical signs, which are further supported by the cytological examination of the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). This can also be helpful in monitoring the inflammation of the lower airways in response to environmental management and medication. The cytocentrifugated preparation is usually considered the method of choice for BAL cytological interpretation. The a...