White blood cells (WBCs) are integral components of the equine immune system, responsible for protecting horses against infections and foreign invaders. These cells circulate in the bloodstream and are produced in the bone marrow. The primary types of white blood cells in horses include neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils, each with distinct functions in immune defense. Neutrophils are involved in the immediate response to infections, while lymphocytes play a role in adaptive immunity. Monocytes are involved in phagocytosis and the regulation of immune responses. Eosinophils and basophils are associated with allergic reactions and parasitic infections. Variations in white blood cell counts can indicate health conditions, making them valuable in veterinary diagnostics. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the function, regulation, and clinical relevance of white blood cells in equine health.
Fratto MA, Hart KA, Norton NA, Barton MH, Giguère S, Hurley DJ.Cortisol is a key anti-inflammatory hormone that increases in bacterial sepsis and circulates predominantly bound to cortisol binding globulin (CBG). Only unbound cortisol was believed to be biologically active, but recent evidence suggests that CBG-bound cortisol also regulates inflammation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of free and CBG-bound cortisol on equine neutrophil function ex vivo. We hypothesized that CBG would enhance cortisol-mediated suppression of neutrophil pro-inflammatory responses. Neutrophils isolated from 8 foals and 6 adult horses were exposed to ...
Borlone C, Morales N, Henriquez C, Folch H, Olave C, Sarmiento J, Uberti B, Moran G.Neutrophils participate in innate immunity as the first line of host defense against microorganisms. However, exacerbated neutrophil activity can be harmful to surrounding tissues; this is important in a range of diseases, including allergic asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in humans, and equine asthma (also known as recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Tamoxifen (TX) is a non-steroidal estrogen receptor modulator with effects on cell growth and survival. Previous preliminary studies showed that TX treatment in horses with induced acute pulmonary inflammation promoted early apop...
Furness MC, Setlakwe E, Sallaway J, Wood D, Fromstein J, Arroyo LG.A 3-year-old Standardbred gelding with a history of pyrexia, persistent hemorrhage from the oral cavity, and a large, soft swelling at the junction of the caudal aspect of the mandibular rami and proximal neck was evaluated. The horse had neutropenia and anemia, with atypical granulated cells in a blood smear. Additional tests confirmed acute myeloid leukemia with basophilic differentiation, which has been reported in humans, cats, dogs, and cattle but not horses. Nous avons évalué un hongre Standardbred âgé de 3 ans avec une anamnèse de pyrexie, d’hémorragie persistante de la cavité...
BMC research notesJuly 19, 2016
Volume 9 353 doi: 10.1186/s13104-016-2161-9
Tarlinton RE, Alder L, Moreton J, Maboni G, Emes RD, Tötemeyer S.Toll like receptors are one of the major innate immune system pathogen recognition systems. There is little data on the expression of the TLR10 member of this family in the horse. Results: This paper describes the genetic structure of the Equine TLR10 gene and its RNA expression in a range of horse tissues. It describes the phylogenetic analysis of the Equine TLR1,6,10,2 annotations in the horse genome, firmly identifying them in their corresponding gene clades compared to other species and firmly placing the horse gene with other TLR10 genes from odd-toed ungulates. Additional 3' transcript e...
Pihl TH, Scheepers E, Sanz M, Goddard A, Page P, Toft N, Kjelgaard-Hansen M, Andersen PH, Jacobsen S.To investigate the diagnostic potential of the concentrations of acute-phase proteins serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp), and fibrinogen in blood and peritoneal fluid (PF) for differentiating horses with inflammatory colic (entero-colitis and peritonitis) from those with surgical colic. Methods: Prospective observational multicenter study. Methods: Two university referral hospitals. Methods: Horses referred for severe acute abdominal pain to Hospital 1 (n = 148) or Hospital 2 (n = 78). Methods: Blood and PF samples collected at admission were used for acute-phase protein concentration...
Geisshüsler H, Marti E, Stoffel MH, Kühni K, Stojiljkovic A, von Tscharner C, Vidondo B, Gerber V, Koch C.Sarcoids are the most frequently observed skin tumours in equids and consist of cutaneous accumulations of transformed fibroblasts. Their aetiopathogenesis is closely linked to a presumably abortive infection by bovine papillomavirus (BPV) types 1 and 2. In cattle, dermal fibropapillomas induced by BPV1/2 usually regress spontaneously due to a local, cell-mediated, immune response; however, equids appear to lack an effective immune response to BPV1/2 and mechanisms of immune evasion have been postulated. As a consequence, equine sarcoids tend to persist and are prone to recur. In this study, c...
Tuska P, Tóth B, Vásárhelyi G, Hangody L, Papp M, Bodó G.The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in biomarker and synovial parameters following autologous osteochondral transplantation (AOT) in the equine stifle joint, to test the hypothesis whether synovial parameters would show significant differences at selected time points following the surgery (at days 3, 14, 60 and 180) compared to baseline level (at day 0). Surgical intervention was performed in both stifles of nine horses (n = 18). The joints were randomly assigned to operated and sham-operated groups. Grafts 8.5 mm in diameter were harvested from the femoropatellar (FP) joint unde...
Durward-Akhurst SA, Finno CJ, Barnes N, Shivers J, Guo LT, Shelton GD, Valberg SJ.Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I and II expression is not normally detected on sarcolemma, but is detected with lymphocytic infiltrates in immune-mediated myositis (IMM) of humans and dogs and in dysferlin-deficient muscular dystrophy. Objective: To determine if sarcolemmal MHC is expressed in active IMM in horses, if MHC expression is associated with lymphocytic subtype, and if dysferlin is expressed in IMM. Methods: Twenty-one IMM horses of Quarter Horse-related breeds, 3 healthy and 6 disease controls (3 pasture myopathy, 3 amylase-resistant polysaccharide storage myopathy [PSSM]). ...
Viscardi V, Jorge ML, Silva KM, Sad EP, Fonseca AB, Alencar NX, Lessa DA.Collection of fluid from the lower respiratory tract (LRT) plays an important role in both the pathophysiological investigation and diagnosis of respiratory tract disease. Enzymes such as ALP are, among others, indicators of cell damage or death, type II pneumocyte proliferation, and neutrophil invasion, and have been useful as biomarkers of respiratory disease in other species. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine and compare tracheal wash (TW) ALP activity in healthy horses and horses with LRT inflammation (LRTI) determined by TW cytology profile. Methods: Tracheal washes we...
Lambert JL, Fernandez NJ, Roy MF.Band cells and toxic neutrophils are thought to indicate acute and severe systemic illness but no studies have investigated their importance in adult equine emergency admissions. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of band cells and toxic neutrophils with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and outcome in horses. Methods: One hundred and five adult horses admitted on emergency basis to a private primary referral practice. Methods: Prospective observational study with sample collection. All horses admitted on emergency basis over the study period we...
Wilson AD, Hicks C.Bovine papillomavirus (BPV) infections of equine species have a central role in the aetiology of equine sarcoids; a common benign skin tumour of horses, zebras and donkeys. Within the lesions, all of the early papillomavirus genes are expressed and promote the excessive replication of fibroblasts which characterise these tumours. Equine sarcoids differ from BPV induced fibro-papillomas of cattle (the natural host of BPV), in that they do not produce high amounts of virus particles, do not usually regress spontaneously and do not sero-convert to BPV; features which suggest that affected horses ...
Westerman TL, Foster CM, Tornquist SJ, Poulsen KP.To evaluate the use of the acute-phase proteins serum amyloid A (SAA) and haptoglobin as prognostic indicators in horses with colic with regard to the need for surgical intervention, development of complications, and hospitalization cost and duration. Methods: Prospective observational study. Methods: 20 clinically normal horses and 42 horses with colic. Methods: Total WBC and neutrophil counts and plasma fibrinogen, SAA, and haptoglobin concentrations were compared between healthy (control) horses and horses admitted to a veterinary teaching hospital for colic. Clinicopathologic values were c...
Ardanaz N, Vázquez FJ, Romero A, Remacha AR, Barrachina L, Sanz A, Ranera B, Vitoria A, Albareda J, Prades M, Zaragoza P, Martín-Burriel I....Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) transplantation has become a promising therapeutic choice for musculoskeletal injuries. Joint-related disorders are highly prevalent in horses. Therefore, these animals are considered as suitable models for testing MSC-based therapies for these diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and inflammatory responses to intra-articular single and repeat dose administration of autologous or of pooled allogeneic MSCs in healthy equine healthy joints. Six horses were intra-articularly injected with a single autologous dose of bone marrow derived MSCs...
Lilliehöök I, Tvedten HW, Bröjer J, Edner A, Nostell K.Neutrophil myeloperoxidase content is determined by the Advia 2120 hematology system by staining characteristics. Changes in myeloperoxidase staining are shown by location of neutrophils on Advia peroxidase dot plots and as myeloperoxidase index (MPXI). Significant changes in MPXI have been reported during severe inflammation in horses, dogs, and people but conclusions were inconsistent. Objective: Infusion of endotoxin was used to initiate an inflammatory stimulus under controlled conditions and over a longer time period than in previous studies to document kinetics of changes in neutrophil n...
The aims of this study were to (1) verify if significant changes occur in hematological and biochemical parameters in jennies during the last 2 months of pregnancy and the first 2 months of lactation, and (2) determine any differences with mares. Hematological and biochemical parameters were evaluated in jennies every 15 days during late pregnancy, parturition, and early lactation. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, analysis of variance for repeated measurements and Tukey's multiple comparison test as post hoc were applied. The significance level was set at P < 0.05. Statistical analysis sho...
Piccione G, Rizzo M, Arfuso F, Giannetto C, Di Pietro S, Bazzano M, Quartuccio M.During early post-partum period both neonatal foals and peripartum mares are most susceptible to diseases. The aim of this study was to establish physiologic modifications of leukogram during the first month after foaling in mares and their newborn foals. To this end blood samples were collected from nine mares and nine foals (T0-T10), every three days from the 1st day until the 30th day after foaling. Samples were analysed for white blood cell (WBC) count and differential leucocyte counts. Two-way repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed, in postpartum mares WBC showed significant...
Ząbek T, Semik E, Szmatoła T, Oklejewicz B, Fornal A, Bugno-Poniewierska M.Methylation profiles across three CpG islands of the RNASEL gene were determined in blood leukocyte samples of Anglo-Arabian and Hucul horses. Bisulfite sequencing revealed hypomethylated state of the RNASEL promoter coinciding with methylated CpG island placed inside the gene. Several CpG sites were identified for which the methylation state was influenced by DNA polymorphism. Two of them showed monoallelic methylation. One of the CpG sites revealed functional polymorphism. A number of partially methylated CpG sites have been observed in the promoter area of RNASEL, which were used for the co...
Brudvig JM, Swenson CL.Rapid and precise measurement of total and differential nucleated cell counts is a crucial diagnostic component of cavitary and synovial fluid analyses. Objective: The objectives of this study included (1) evaluation of reliability and precision of canine and equine fluid total nucleated cell count (TNCC) determined by the benchtop Abaxis VetScan HM5, in comparison with the automated reference instruments ADVIA 120 and the scil Vet abc, respectively, and (2) comparison of automated with manual canine differential nucleated cell counts. Methods: The TNCC and differential counts in canine pleura...
Westerman TL, Tornquist SJ, Foster CM, Poulsen KP.To evaluate use of serum amyloid A (SAA) and haptoglobin concentrations as prognostic indicators for horses with inflammatory disease in regard to euthanasia, complications, and hospitalization duration and cost. Methods: 20 clinically normal horses and 53 horses with inflammatory disease. Methods: Total WBC count, neutrophil count, and fibrinogen, SAA, and haptoglobin concentrations were determined for clinically normal horses and horses with suspected inflammatory disease. Clinicopathologic values at admission were compared to test the use of SAA and haptoglobin concentrations in predicting ...
Moraes AP, Moreira JJ, Brossi PM, Machado TS, Michelacci YM, Baccarin RY.This study aimed to verify whether transient inflammatory reactions incited by the administration of intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) affected joint components through short- and long-term in vivo evaluation of inflammatory biomarkers and extracellular matrix degradation products in synovial fluid. The effects of PRP were analyzed in a short phase protocol (SPP) and in a prolonged phase protocol (PPP), using saline-injected joints as controls. In the SPP, higher white blood cell counts and prostaglandin E2 and total protein concentrations were observed in the synovial fluid of PRP-tr...
Xie FY, Feng YL, Wang HH, Ma YF, Yang Y, Wang YC, Shen W, Pan QJ, Yin S, Sun YJ, Ma JY.Prior to the mechanization of agriculture and labor-intensive tasks, humans used donkeys (Equus africanus asinus) for farm work and packing. However, as mechanization increased, donkeys have been increasingly raised for meat, milk, and fur in China. To maintain the development of the donkey industry, breeding programs should focus on traits related to these new uses. Compared to conventional marker-assisted breeding plans, genome- and transcriptome-based selection methods are more efficient and effective. To analyze the coding genes of the donkey genome, we assembled the transcriptome of donke...
Laskoski LM, Locatelli-Dittrich R, Valadão CA, Deconto I, Gonçalves KA, Montiani-Ferreira F, Brum JS, de Brito HF, de Sousa RS.The present study was aimed at identifying laminar lesions and leukocyte infiltration in hoof laminar tissue of horses with colic syndrome and its correlation with the total leukocyte count before death. Six healthy horses were used as control group (CG), and eighteen horses with lethal gastrointestinal disease were divided into two groups: leukopenic group (LG) with seven leukopenic horses, and non-leukopenic group (NLG) with 11 horses with total leukocyte count within reference range for the species. Leukocyte infiltration was examined by immunohistochemistry. Laminar lesions were observed i...
Mundy LN, Ishihara A, Wellman ML, Bertone AL.To assess efficiency of gravity filtration to enhance recovery of equine bone marrow elements including stem and progenitor cells. Methods: 12 healthy adult horses. Methods: Bone marrow aspirates were collected from the fifth sternebral body and filtered by gravitational flow to obtain bone marrow elements. Raw and harvested bone marrow and marrow effluent were evaluated for WBC and platelet counts, automated and cytomorphologic cell differential counts, mesenchymal stem cell CFUs, cell viability, and differentiation capacity. Isolated cells were analyzed for CD90 and major histocompatibility ...
Turlo A, Cywinska A, Czopowicz M, Witkowski L, Szarska E, Winnicka A.The aim of this study was to evaluate serum amyloid A (SAA) concentration in horses with orthopedic injuries acquired during racing and in healthy ones after completing the race. Injuries of bone and tendon did not cause radical increase in SAA concentration observed in other inflammatory conditions. SAA concentration correlated positively with white blood cell count (WBC) on the 3rd-4th days after race being significantly higher in the injured horses than in the control group in that time. It was suggested that racing effort may cause increase in SAA level, more pronounced in horses manifesti...
Kol A, Wood JA, Carrade Holt DD, Gillette JA, Bohannon-Worsley LK, Puchalski SM, Walker NJ, Clark KC, Watson JL, Borjesson DL.Intravenous (IV) injection of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is used to treat systemic human diseases and disorders but is not routinely used in equine therapy. In horses, MSCs are isolated primarily from adipose tissue (AT) or bone marrow (BM) and used for treatment of orthopedic injuries through one or more local injections. The objective of this study was to determine the safety and lymphocyte response to multiple allogeneic IV injections of either AT-derived MSCs (AT-MSCs) or BM-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) to healthy horses. Methods: We injected three doses of 25 × 10(6) allogeneic MSCs fro...
Kravtsov AL.Compare the content of bactericidal granules (BG) in blood phagocytes of animals, that differ by species sensitivity to plague infection, under the conditions of measuring, that ensure automatic differentiating by this parameter of monocytes and granulocytes of human blood. Methods: Human whole blood leukocytes were studied, as well as from 7 animal species: mice, guinea pigs, golden hamsters, white rats, rabbits, dogs and horses. Acridine orange (AO) was used for supra-vital staining in primary (bactericidal) granule cells. Relative BG content was measured in separate cells in conventional un...
Ranera B, Antczak D, Miller D, Doroshenkova T, Ryan A, McIlwraith CW, Barry F.Recently, it has been shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) do not express the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II antigen and are able to inhibit proliferation of MHC-mismatched stimulated lymphocytes, enabling their use as in vivo allogeneic transplants. However, prior to clinical application of allo-MSCs, in vitro tests are required to confirm the safety of treatment protocols. Objective: To evaluate the immunosuppressive capabilities of equine bone-marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) on MHC-mismatched lymphocytes. Methods: In vitro experiment. Methods: Phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated per...
Pihl TH, Scheepers E, Sanz M, Goddard A, Page P, Toft N, Andersen PH, Jacobsen S.The acute phase proteins (APP) serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin, and fibrinogen are valuable blood biomarkers in equine inflammatory diseases, but knowledge of factors influencing their concentrations in blood and peritoneal fluid (PF) of horses with colic is needed. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of demographics (age, sex, breed), disease process (simple obstruction, strangulating obstruction, inflammatory), disease location, disease duration, hypovolemia, and admission hospital on concentrations of APP, lactate and white blood cell counts (WBC) in h...
Aguiar C, Theoret C, Smith O, Segura M, Lemire P, Smith LC.Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) have brought immense hope to cellular therapy and regenerative medicine. However, the antigenicity of iPSC has not been well documented and remains a hurdle for clinical applications. Expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules by human and murine iPSC is downregulated, making these cells potentially safe for transplantation. No such data are available for any large animal model. Objective: To measure expression of MHC molecules on equine iPSC (eiPSC) and describe their antigenicity using intradermal testing. The hypothesis was that allo...
Borlone C, Morales N, Henriquez C, Folch H, Olave C, Sarmiento J, Uberti B, Moran G.Neutrophils participate in innate immunity as the first line of host defense against microorganisms. However, exacerbated neutrophil activity can be harmful to surrounding tissues; this is important in a range of diseases, including allergic asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in humans, and equine asthma (also known as recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Tamoxifen (TX) is a non-steroidal estrogen receptor modulator with effects on cell growth and survival. Previous preliminary studies showed that TX treatment in horses with induced acute pulmonary inflammation promoted early apop...
Tagmyer TL, Craigo JK, Cook SJ, Issel CJ, Montelaro RC.Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) infection of horses provides a valuable model for examining the natural immunological control of lentivirus infection and disease and the mechanisms of protective and enhancing vaccine immunity. We have previously hypothesized that the EIAV envelope (Env) proteins gp90 and gp45 are major determinants of vaccine efficacy, and that the development of protective immunity by attenuated viral vaccines may be associated with the progressive redirection of immune responses from immunodominant, variable Env segments to immunorecessive, conserved Env sequences. Whi...
de Mestre AM, Bacon SJ, Costa CC, Leadbeater JC, Noronha LE, Stewart F, Antczak DF.The chorionic girdle of the equine conceptus is comprised of specialized trophoblast cells which, at day 36-38 of equine pregnancy, gain an invasive phenotype and invade the endometrium to form endometrial cups. Studies of equine endometrial cups remain difficult to perform because of the invasive techniques required to obtain cup tissue and because sampling requires termination of the pregnancy. In this study we developed a system to model trophoblast differentiation and trophoblast-immune interactions in vitro and in vivo. We utilized a method of culturing chorionic girdle pieces in serum-fr...
Chung C, Mealey RH, McGuire TC.Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are important for controlling equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV). Because Gag matrix (MA) and capsid (CA) are the most frequently recognized proteins, the hypothesis that CTL from EIAV-infected horses with diverse MHC class I alleles recognize epitope clusters (EC) in these proteins was tested. Four EC were identified by CTL from 15 horses and 8 of these horses had diverse MHC class I alleles. Two of the eight had CTL to EC1, six to EC2, five to EC3, and four to EC4. Because EC2-4 were recognized by CTL from >50% of horses with diverse alleles, the hypothesi...
Mealey RH, Lee JH, Leib SR, Littke MH, McGuire TC.Although CTL are critical for control of lentiviruses, including equine infectious anemia virus, relatively little is known regarding the MHC class I molecules that present important epitopes to equine infectious anemia virus-specific CTL. The equine class I molecule 7-6 is associated with the equine leukocyte Ag (ELA)-A1 haplotype and presents the Env-RW12 and Gag-GW12 CTL epitopes. Some ELA-A1 target cells present both epitopes, whereas others are not recognized by Gag-GW12-specific CTL, suggesting that the ELA-A1 haplotype comprises functionally distinct alleles. The Rev-QW11 CTL epitope is...
Fazio F, Assenza A, Tosto F, Casella S, Piccione G, Caola G.The concentrations of plasma fibrinogen and serum haptoglobin and the white blood cell count (WBC) were assessed in 17 thoroughbreds. All horses were trained for 80 days, six days a week, with one day of rest per week. Blood samples were collected from each animal by jugular venepuncture, at 06.00, every 20 days for a period of 80 days, and the fibrinogen and haptoglobin concentrations and WBC were determined. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance, followed by the Bonferroni test, was used to determine significant differences. Training was associated with a significant increase in the...
Spoormakers TJ, Klein WR, Jacobs JJ, Van Den Ingh TS, Koten JW, Den Otter W.Local interleukin-2 (IL-2) is effective in a number of experimental animal models and in veterinary and human cancer patients without discomforting side effects. The primary goal of this study was to compare the therapeutic effects and side effects of the local intratumoral administration of five or ten low doses of IL-2 with those of a combination of cisplatin and a single high dose of IL-2 in the treatment of equine sarcoids. The therapeutic effect (complete and partial regression) of local cisplatin together with a single high dose of IL-2 was significantly better than the combined effect o...
Machado TS, Correia da Silva LC, Baccarin RY, Michelacci YM.Alternative methods to evaluate the joint condition in asymptomatic osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) and other joint diseases may be useful. Objective: To investigate possible changes in synovial fluid composition that may lead to joint conditions in asymptomatic OCD, in mature horses. Methods: Animals aged >2 years, of different breeds, with OCD in the intermediate ridge of distal tibia, symptomatic or not, were studied. Synovial fluid samples (10 healthy; 11 asymptomatic OCD; 25 symptomatic OCD) were collected by arthroscopy from 29 horses. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) were analysed by a comb...
Muñoz A, Riber C, Santisteban R, Rubio MD, Agüera EI, Castejón FM.The cardiovascular and metabolic response to two cross-country events (CC*: preliminary level and CC*** advanced level) were analysed in 8 male eventing horses (4 Anglo-Hunter and 4 Anglo-Arabian). This study focused on the establishment of the main metabolic pathways involved in the muscle energy resynthesis during the competitions. Heart rate (HR) was recorded throughout the CC events. Jugular venous blood samples were withdrawn before the warm-up period, immediately after the competitions and at 5 and 10 min in the recuperation period. The following haematological parameters were studied: r...
Hooijberg EH, van den Hoven R, Tichy A, Schwendenwein I.A wide spectrum of laboratory tests is available to aid diagnosis and classification of equine inflammatory disease. Objective: To compare diagnostic efficacy and combined predictive capability of the myeloperoxidase index (MPXI), and plasma fibrinogen, iron and serum amyloid A (SAA) concentrations for the diagnosis of inflammation. Methods: Twenty-six hospitalized horses with systemic inflammation (SI), 114 with local inflammation (LI) and 61 healthy horses or those with noninflammatory disease (NI) were included. Methods: A retrospective study was performed; clinicopathologic data from horse...
Nagarajan MM, Simard C.A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplifying a region of the gag gene of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) was developed for the rapid and direct detection of proviral DNA from the peripheral blood of naturally infected horses and was compared with the Coggins test. DNA prepared from white blood cells of 122 field horses from 15 stables with reported cases of EIAV and one seronegative stable were analysed. Amplifications of expected size fragments were obtained by nested PCR for 88 horses using two different sets of primers targeting the gag region. The specificity of the amplified ...
Horses affected by chronic piroplasmosis may develop poor performance and muscle atrophy. Here we investigate the pathological and immunopathological aspects of myopathy occurring in chronic equine piroplasmosis. The study included 16 horses serologically positive for equine piroplasms presenting with clinical signs and supporting serum biochemical evidence of a myopathy. Skeletal muscle was evaluated by histopathology, immunohistochemistry, indirect immunofluorescence, and molecular detection of piroplasms and inflammatory cytokines in skeletal muscle. Histologic lesions included muscle fiber...
Lavoie-Lamoureux A, Beauchamp G, Quessy S, Martin JG, Lavoie JP.To compare innate immune responses of peripheral blood leukocytes from healthy and asymptomatic heaves-affected horses. Methods: Heaves-affected horses (n=5-6) and healthy controls (n=4-5) kept under low dust environments (pasture or shavings and pellets). Methods: Blood neutrophil and neutrophil-depleted cell populations were isolated using MACS system. Cells were incubated with or without bacterial products (lipopolysaccharide (LPS), 100 ng/mL and fMLP, 5 ng/mL, 5 h). Cytokine (IL-1β, IL-8, TNF, IL-4, INFγ and IL-10) and receptor (TLR4) mRNA expression was assessed by qPCR. TNF concentrati...
Hurley DJ, Parks RJ, Reber AJ, Donovan DC, Okinaga T, Vandenplas ML, Peroni JF, Moore JN.Administration of black walnut heartwood extract (BWHE) via nasogastric tube induces acute laminitis in horses. However, the processes responsible for the development of laminitis, including laminitis induced with BWHE, remain unclear. The results of recent studies indicate that administration of BWHE initiates an inflammatory response in the laminar tissues and that this response may be due to extravasation of activated leukocytes from the circulation. This study examines the effects of BWHE administration on the dynamics of circulating neutrophils and monocytes, and the capacity of blood leu...
Furrer E, Bilzer T, Stitz L, Planz O.Experimental Borna disease virus (BDV) infection of rats and natural infection of horses and sheep leads to severe central nervous system disease based on immunopathological pathways. The virus replicates slowly, and the cellular immune response results in immunopathology. CD8(+) T cells exert effector cell functions, and their activity results in the destruction of virus-infected cells. Previously, Oldach and colleagues (D. Oldach, M. C. Zink, J. M. Pyper, S. Herzog, R. Rott, O. Narayan, and J. E. Clements, Virology 206:426-434, 1995) have reported protection against Borna disease after inocu...
Grünig G, Triplett L, Canady LK, Allen WR, Antczak DF.Invading trophoblasts form endometrial cups in the endometrium of the pregnant mare. In the present study we characterized the maternal leucocyte response to endometrial cups from their formation to their regression. The maternal leucocyte response was correlated with the stages of trophoblast development. (1) Aggregates of CD4+ and CD8+ cells were present between the migrating and differentiating endometrial cup trophoblasts and surrounding the forming endometrial cups. (2) Numbers of CD4+ cells within the mature endometrial cups were much reduced. At the periphery of the endometrial cups CD4...
Lunn DP, Holmes MA, Duffus WP.The aim of this study was to produce monoclonal antibodies (mAb) recognizing equine lymphocyte surface antigens. Fusions were conducted using BALB/c mice hyperimmunized with equine thymocytes. Hybridoma supernatants were screened by flow cytometry and positive hybridomas were cloned twice by limiting dilution. These mAb were then characterized for tissue distribution by immunohistology and flow cytometry, and by precipitation and analysis of the lymphocyte antigens which they recognized. Three mAb (CVS5, CVS4 and CVS8) are described which recognize only T lymphocytes in peripheral blood. Two-c...
Futas J, Horin P.Natural killer (NK) cells have important functions in immunity. NK recognition in mammals can be mediated through killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) and/or killer cell lectin-like Ly49 receptors. Genes encoding highly variable NK cell receptors (NKR) represent rapidly evolving genomic regions. No single conservative model of NKR genes was observed in mammals. Single-copy low polymorphic NKR genes present in one mammalian species may expand into highly polymorphic multigene families in other species. In contrast to other non-rodent mammals, multiple Ly49-like genes appear to exist ...
Jörg A, Portmann P, Fellay G, Dreyer JL, Meyer J.An improved and short method is described for the isolation of intact eosinophilic leukocytes from horse blood with high yield (1--1.5 g/20 l). Viability and purity of the preparations were verified by light and electron microscopy and by the trypan blue exclusion test. Isolated eosinophils were 98--100% pure, intact and viable, and they could be shown to phagocytise immune-complexes.
Riggs LM, Franck T, Moore JN, Krunkosky TM, Hurley DJ, Peroni JF, de la Rebière G, Serteyn DA.To compare measurements of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in plasma, laminar tissues, and skin obtained from control horses and horses given black walnut heartwood extract (BWHE). Methods: 22 healthy 5- to 15-year-old horses. Methods: Horses were randomly assigned to 4 groups as follows: a control group given water (n = 5) and 3 experimental groups given BWHE (17) via nasogastric intubation. Experimental groups consisted of 5, 6, and 6 horses that received BWHE and were euthanatized at 1.5, 3, and 12 hours after intubation, respectively. Control horses were euthanatized at 12 hours after intubation. Pl...
Mealey RH, Stone DM, Hines MT, Alperin DC, Littke MH, Leib SR, Leach SE, Hines SA.Improving the ability of DNA-based vaccines to induce potent Type1/Th1 responses against intracellular pathogens in large outbred species is essential. Rhodoccocus equi and equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) are two naturally occurring equine pathogens that also serve as important large animal models of neonatal immunity and lentiviral immune control. Neonates present a unique challenge for immunization due to their diminished immunologic capabilities and apparent Th2 bias. In an effort to augment R. equi- and EIAV-specific Th1 responses induced by DNA vaccination, we hypothesized that a du...
Lilliehöök I, Tvedten HW, Bröjer J, Edner A, Nostell K.Neutrophil myeloperoxidase content is determined by the Advia 2120 hematology system by staining characteristics. Changes in myeloperoxidase staining are shown by location of neutrophils on Advia peroxidase dot plots and as myeloperoxidase index (MPXI). Significant changes in MPXI have been reported during severe inflammation in horses, dogs, and people but conclusions were inconsistent. Objective: Infusion of endotoxin was used to initiate an inflammatory stimulus under controlled conditions and over a longer time period than in previous studies to document kinetics of changes in neutrophil n...
Van Hecke LL, Hermans K, Haspeslagh M, Chiers K, Pint E, Boyen F, Martens AM.The aim of this study was to evaluate different techniques for diagnosing wound infection in wounds healing by second intention in horses and to assess the effect of a vortex and sonication protocol on quantitative bacteriology in specimens with a histologically confirmed biofilm. In 50 wounds healing by second intention, a clinical assessment, a quantitative swab, a semi-quantitative swab, and a swab for cytology were compared to a quantitative tissue biopsy (reference standard). Part of the biopsy specimen was examined histologically for evidence of a biofilm. There was a significant, high c...
Hines SA, Kanaly ST, Byrne BA, Palmer GH.Rhodococcal pneumonia is an important, life threatening disease of foals and immunosuppressed humans. Increased knowledge of the mechanisms of protective immunity are required in order to develop an effective immunoprophylaxis strategy for horses and immunotherapeutic regiments for people. Both humoral and cellular components of the immune system may be involved in immune clearance of R. equi. The susceptibility of foals less than 4-6 months of age is postulated to reflect waning maternal antibody, and passive transfer of hyperimmune plasma can provide protection on endemic farms. However, eff...
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...
Raidal SL, Love DN, Bailey GD, Rose RJ.The effects of single bouts of moderate (30 to 40 per cent VO(2)max) and high (115 per cent VO(2)max) intensity exercise on equine peripheral blood leucocyte function were evaluated by determining neutrophil phagocytosis and oxidative burst activity before and after treadmill exercise and training. Prior to all exercise tests, the possible effect of diurnal variation was evaluated in samples obtained from four resting horses. Subsequently eight horses underwent moderate and high intensity exercise protocols and then commenced a 17-week training period. High intensity exercise tests were repeat...
Dauvillier J, Felippe MJ, Lunn DP, Lavoie-Lamoureux A, Leclère M, Beauchamp G, Lavoie JP.Corticosteroids currently are the most effective pharmacological treatment available to control heaves in horses. Systemically administered corticosteroids have been shown to alter immune response in horses, humans, and other species. Aerosolized administration theoretically minimizes systemic adverse effects, but the effect of inhaled corticosteroids on immune function has not been evaluated in horses. Objective: To evaluate the effects of prolonged administration of inhaled fluticasone on the immune system of heaves-affected horses. Methods: Heaves-affected horses were treated with inhaled f...
Plotka ED, Eagle TC, Gaulke SJ, Tester JR, Siniff DB.Blood was collected from 486 feral horses of mixed sex and age classes captured from three wild horse management areas in Nevada and Oregon from December 1985 to February 1986. Males were significantly outnumbered by females in the Flanigan area, but both sexes were represented in approximately equal numbers in the Wassuk and Beaty's Butte areas. Hematology and chemistry values averaged 16.4 +/- 0.11, 46.3 +/- 0.28, 9.9 +/- 0.07, 6.9 +/- 0.10, 47.1 +/- 0.24, 16.6 +/- 0.09, 35.2 +/- 0.09, 10.4 +/- 0.14 and 23.4 +/- 0.25 for hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), red blood cells (RBC), white blood ...
Horohov DW, Kydd JH, Hannant D.Horses greater than 20 years of age exhibit alterations in their immune responses similar to those observed in other aged individuals. The purpose of this study was to characterize immunosenescence in a population of aged ponies. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from aged ponies exhibited a decreased proliferative response to various mitogens that was not overcome by the addition of interleukin 2 (IL-2) to the cultures. No difference in overall expression of the IL-2 receptor was seen between young and aged ponies, though CD8(+) cells from aged ponies exhibited increased levels of...
Journal of proteomicsSeptember 23, 2020
Volume 230 103989 doi: 10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103989
Weigand M, Hauck SM, Deeg CA, Degroote RL.Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is a spontaneous, remitting-relapsing autoimmune disease driven by the adaptive immune system. Although T cells are described as the main effector cells in pathogenesis, granulocytes have also emerged as possible disease mediators. To explore the role of these innate immune cells, we investigated the whole cell proteome of granulocytes from equine recurrent uveitis cases and healthy controls. Among the 2362 proteins identified by mass spectrometry, we found 96 proteins with significantly changed abundance between groups (p < 0.05, fold change >1.2), representin...
