A cross-sectional observational study of birefringent particulates in bronchoalveolar lavage cytology in horses with equine asthma from the West v East coasts of the USA.
Abstract: Equine asthma (EA) is an important cause of wastage in the USA horse industry. Exposure to organic particulates, from stable dust, airborne pollen, and fungal loads, is posited to be the main cause. Dust arising from the earth's crust has been largely ignored as a contributor to EA in the veterinary literature. The objectives of this study were to investigate the occurrence of birefringent particulates in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of horses with a clinical complaint of EA residing in the arid West of the USA v. the East, in an effort to determine the contribution of geolocation to geogenic dust exposure. We analyzed BALF cytology and historical data sent to our referral clinical laboratory from 148 horses from the West Coast and 233 horses from the East Coast of the USA over a 6-year period, using light microscopy to determine cell proportions and other visible elements as well as a polarizing lens to detect birefringent material. Univariate analysis showed that horses from the West coast were significantly more likely to have birefringent particulates in the BALF than horses from the East coast (40.5% v. 8.6%, p < 0.001); while horses from the East had higher BALF neutrophil proportions. Horses from the West also had lower proportions of neutrophils in the BALF than those from the East (27.1 v. 10.9, p < .001). Using historical and BAL data in a forward stepwise binary logistic regression model with presence of birefringent particulates found within alveolar macrophages as the outcome, geographical location in the West retained significance as a predictor (OR 8.0, CI [4.3-14.8], p< .001). While the birefringent particulates cannot be identified on the basis of polarizing microscopy alone, this study provides evidence that horses from the West are exposed to inorganic particulates that may contribute to signs of equine asthma.
Copyright: © 2024 Mazan, Deveney. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Publication Date: 2024-04-04 PubMed ID: 38573986PubMed Central: PMC10994282DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297181Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Observational Study
- Veterinary
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This study examines the impact of the geographical location on the incidence of equine asthma in horses in the USA, specifically comparing those on the West Coast to those on the East Coast. The research points to a significant presence of inorganic particulates in horses from the West Coast, which may contribute to the development of equine asthma.
Research Objectives
- The study aims to evaluate the prevalence of birefringent particulates in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of horses diagnosed with equine asthma, and compare this prevalence between horses from the West and East coasts of the USA.
Research Methodology
- The study analyzed BALF cytology and historical data from a clinical laboratory involving 148 horses from the West Coast and 233 horses from the East Coast, collected over a period of 6 years.
- The researchers used light microscopy to identify cell proportions and other visible elements, and a polarizing lens to detect birefringent material.
- A univariate analysis used the presence of birefringent particulates in BALF and geographical location as variables.
Findings
- Horses from the West Coast were significantly more likely to have birefringent particulates in their BALF than horses from the East Coast (40.5% vs. 8.6%).
- Horses from the East Coast had higher proportions of neutrophils in their BALF compared to horses from the West Coast. Neutrophils are type of white blood cells often associated with inflammation and bacterial infection.
- Using a forward stepwise binary logistic regression model, researchers found geographical location in the West was a significant predictor for the presence of birefringent particulates within alveolar macrophages.
Implications
- While unable to identify the birefringent particulates using polarizing microscopy, the study suggests that horses from the West are exposed to inorganic particulates that may be contributing to equine asthma.
- This geographical correlation provides a fresh perspective to vet study that largely ignores the potential impact of geogenic dust on equine asthma.
- The results could aid in improving the diagnosis and treatment of equine asthma, especially in considering the impact of geographical and environmental factors.
Cite This Article
APA
Mazan MR, Deveney EF.
(2024).
A cross-sectional observational study of birefringent particulates in bronchoalveolar lavage cytology in horses with equine asthma from the West v East coasts of the USA.
PLoS One, 19(4), e0297181.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0297181 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Grafton, MA, United States of America.
- Department of Physics, Photonics and Optical Engineering, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA, United States of America.
MeSH Terms
- Horses
- Animals
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage
- Asthma / veterinary
- Asthma / diagnosis
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid
- Lung Diseases
- Dust
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare that no competing interests exist.
References
This article includes 34 references
- Couetil L, Cardwell JM, Leguillette R, Mazan M, Richard E, Bienzle D. Equine Asthma: Current Understanding and Future Directions. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:450.
- Leetham M, DeWitt J, Buck B, Goossens D, Teng Y, Pollard J. Oxidative stress and lung pathology following geogenic dust exposure. J Appl Toxicol 2016;36(10):1276–83.
- Zhang X ZL, Tong DQ, Wu G, Dan M, Teng B. A systematic review of global desert dust and associated human health effects. Atmosphere 2016;7(158).
- Mazurek JM, Wood JM, Schleiff PL, Weissman DN. Surveillance for Silicosis Deaths Among Persons Aged 15–44 Years ‐ United States, 1999–2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2017;66(28):747–52.
- Middleton N. Health in dust belt cities and beyond-an essay by Nick Middleton. BMJ 2020;371:m3089.
- Shepherd CCJ, Clifford HD, Mitrou F, Melody SM, Bennett EJ, Johnston FH. The Contribution of Geogenic Particulate Matter to Lung Disease in Indigenous Children. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019;16(15).
- Merrifield A, Schindeler S, Jalaludin B, Smith W. Health effects of the September 2009 dust storm in Sydney, Australia: did emergency department visits and hospital admissions increase?. Environ Health 2013;12:32.
- Wolman M. Polarized light microscopy as a tool of diagnostic pathology. J Histochem Cytochem 1975;23(1):21–50.
- von Elm E, Altman DG, Egger M, Pocock SJ, Gotzsche PC, Vandenbroucke JP. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. J Clin Epidemiol 2008;61(4):344–9.
- Hinchcliff KW, Couetil LL, Knight PK, Morley PS, Robinson NE, Sweeney CR. Exercise induced pulmonary hemorrhage in horses: American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine consensus statement. J Vet Intern Med 2015;29(3):743–58.
- S E. Physical Geology. 2nd ed. online: BC Campus Open Education ‐ Creative Commons; 2019 2019.
- Lee K, Lawson RJ, Olenchock SA, Vallyathan V, Southard RJ, Thorne PS. Personal exposures to inorganic and organic dust in manual harvest of California citrus and table grapes. J Occup Environ Hyg 2004;1(8):505–14.
- McDonald JW, Roggli VL. Detection of silica particles in lung tissue by polarizing light microscopy. Arch Pathol Lab Med 1995;119(3):242–6.
- Thomas SJ, de Solis CN, Coleman MC. Case-Control Study of Risk Factors for Equine Asthma in Texas. J Equine Vet Sci 2021;103:103644.
- Hall CA MG, Morton EV, Tindell RK, Weller N. Strategies to Curtail Dust-Caused Illness in Arizona: A Policy Memorandum to the Arizona Congressional Delegation. Journal of Science Policy and Governance 2020;16(1).
- Tong DQ, Wang JXL, Gill TE, Lei H, Wang B. Intensified dust storm activity and Valley fever infection in the southwestern United States. Geophys Res Lett 2017;44(9):4304–12.
- Cohen RA, Petsonk EL, Rose C, Young B, Regier M, Najmuddin A. Lung Pathology in U.S. Coal Workers with Rapidly Progressive Pneumoconiosis Implicates Silica and Silicates. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2016;193(6):673–80.
- Pfisterer BR, Ashley AL, Donnell RL, Dunlap JR, Newkirk KM. Pulmonary silicosis in 2 rock hyraxes, and literature review. J Vet Diagn Invest 2022;34(1):98–101.
- Arens AM, Barr B, Puchalski SM, Poppenga R, Kulin RM, Anderson J. Osteoporosis associated with pulmonary silicosis in an equine bone fragility syndrome. Vet Pathol 2011;48(3):593–615.
- Schwartz LW, Knight HD, Whittig LD, Malloy RL, Abraham JL, Tyler NK. Silicate pneumoconiosis and pulmonary fibrosis in horses from the Monterey-Carmel peninsula. Chest 1981;80(1 Suppl):82–5.
- Achakulwisut P, Anenberg SC, Neumann JE, Penn SL, Weiss N, Crimmins A. Effects of Increasing Aridity on Ambient Dust and Public Health in the U.S. Southwest Under Climate Change. Geohealth 2019;3(5):127–44.
- Meo SA, Al-Kheraiji MF, Alfaraj ZF, Alwehaibi NA, Aldereihim AA. Respiratory and general health complaints in subjects exposed to sandstorm at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Pak J Med Sci 2013;29(2):642–6.
- Yitshak-Sade M, Novack V, Katra I, Gorodischer R, Tal A, Novack L. Non-anthropogenic dust exposure and asthma medication purchase in children. Eur Respir J 2015;45(3):652–60.
- Schenker MB, Pinkerton KE, Mitchell D, Vallyathan V, Elvine-Kreis B, Green FH. Pneumoconiosis from agricultural dust exposure among young California farmworkers. Environ Health Perspect 2009;117(6):988–94.
- Walker RT, Illanes O, Conan A, Williams BH, Hilchie D, Bolfa P. Histology, prevalence, and environmental sources for pulmonary silicates depositions in domestic and wild animals. Vet Pathol 2023:3009858221146095.
- Brambilla C, Abraham J, Brambilla E, Benirschke K, Bloor C. Comparative pathology of silicate pneumoconiosis. Am J Pathol 1979;96(1):149–70.
- Schoening JM, Corner LAL, Messam LLM, Cassidy JP, Wolfe A. Environmental dust inhalation in the European badger (Meles meles): Systemic distribution of silica-laden macrophages, pathological changes, and association with Mycobacterium bovis infection status. PLoS One 2018;13(1):e0190230.
- Basano I, Romolo A, Iamone G, Memoli G, Riccio B, Lavoie JP. Giant Multinucleated Cells Are Associated with Mastocytic Inflammatory Signature Equine Asthma. Animals (Basel) 2022;12(9).
- Dauvillier J, Ter Woort F, van Erck-Westergren E. Fungi in respiratory samples of horses with inflammatory airway disease. J Vet Intern Med 2019;33(2):968–75.
- Ortega-Rosas CI, Meza-Figueroa D, Vidal-Solano JR, Gonzalez-Grijalva B, Schiavo B. Association of airborne particulate matter with pollen, fungal spores, and allergic symptoms in an arid urbanized area. Environ Geochem Health 2021;43(5):1761–82.
- Falcon-Rodriguez CI, De Vizcaya-Ruiz A, Rosas-Perez IA, Osornio-Vargas AR, Segura-Medina P. Inhalation of concentrated PM(2.5) from Mexico City acts as an adjuvant in a guinea pig model of allergic asthma. Environ Pollut 2017;228:474–83.
- Sato T, Shimosato T, Klinman DM. Silicosis and lung cancer: current perspectives. Lung Cancer (Auckl) 2018;9:91–101.
- Gerday S, Schleich F, Henket M, Guissard F, Paulus V, Louis R. Revisiting differences between atopic and non-atopic asthmatics: When age is shaping airway inflammatory profile. World Allergy Organ J 2022;15(6):100655.
- Pacheco AP, Paradis MR, Hoffman AM, Hermida P, Sanchez A, Nadeau JA. Age effects on blood gas, spirometry, airway reactivity, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology in clinically healthy horses. J Vet Intern Med 2014;28(2):603–8.
Citations
This article has been cited 0 times.Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
