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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Immunol Immunopathol / Allergen-specific IgE in Icelandic horses with insect bite h...
Veterinary immunology and immunopathology2008; 126(1-2); 102-109; doi: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2008.06.010

Allergen-specific IgE in Icelandic horses with insect bite hypersensitivity and healthy controls, assessed by FcepsilonR1alpha-based serology.

Abstract: Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) and atopy can both be causes of pruritus in horses and are associated with allergen-specific IgE to biting insects and environmental allergens respectively. Information with respect to differences in IgE levels in diseased and healthy animals is crucial in enabling an understanding of the clinical relevance of results of allergen-specific IgE tests. The aim of this study was (i) to evaluate and compare levels of allergen-specific IgE, using an ELISA method, in Icelandic horses, with and without IBH, from Iceland and Sweden respectively; (ii) to investigate patterns of allergen-specific IgE to insects, pollens, moulds and mites in those groups of horses; and (iii) to investigate the clinical significance of employing two different cut-off levels for the ELISA. The study compromised a total number of 99 horses from Iceland and Sweden, with and without IBH, divided in 5 groups. Sera from the horses were analysed blindly with the use of Allercept , a non-competitive, solid-phase ELISA-test, designed to detect the presence of allergen-specific IgE in sera using the recombinant alpha chain of the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcepsilonR1alpha). The distribution of the ELISA values was shown for each insect, mould, mite and pollen allergen, in the different groups using 10th, 50th and 90th percentiles. The use of two cut-off levels, 150 EA and 300 EA, did not eliminate the false positives. Horses with IBH had a higher number of positive reactions, counting all the 29 allergens, than healthy controls and this was borderline significant (P=0.053). In this study it was shown that serological testing with an ELISA that uses the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcepsilonR1alpha) is presently not suitable as a tool for establishing a diagnosis of IBH or equine atopy. The importance of establishing a correct cut-off level for the ELISA for the different allergens is emphasised.
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Publication Date: 2008-07-04 PubMed ID: 18676025DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2008.06.010Google Scholar: Lookup
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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.

The research article discusses the comparison of allergen-specific IgE levels in Icelandic horses with and without insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), a condition causing itchiness. It further assesses the reliability of an ELISA method in diagnosing IBH and the importance of setting correct cut-off levels in test results.

Introduction and Objectives

  • The main motive of this research was to deepen the comprehension of the clinical relevance of allergen-specific IgE tests by analyzing differences in IgE levels in horses with ant without insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH).
  • The study aimed at evaluating and comparing levels of allergen-specific IgE in Icelandic horses from Iceland and Sweden using an ELISA method.
  • Another focal point was to scrutinize patterns of allergen-specific IgE to insects, pollens, moulds, and mites across various groups of horses.
  • The study further sought to evaluate the validity of using two distinct cut-off levels for the ELISA.

Methods and Procedures

  • The study involved a total of 99 horses from Iceland and Sweden, both with and without IBH, divided into five groups.
  • Allercept, a non-competitive, solid-phase ELISA-test, was used to detect the presence of allergen-specific IgE in the horses’ serum. This test uses the recombinant alpha chain of the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcepsilonR1alpha).
  • The distribution of ELISA values for each allergen (insect, mould, mite, and pollen) was tabulated in the different groups using 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles.

Findings and Conclusions

  • The researchers found that two cut-off levels of 150 EA and 300 EA do not eliminate false positives.
  • The study showed that horses suffering from IBH displayed a higher number of positive reactions across all 29 allergens compared to the healthy horses.
  • The research concluded that the ELISA method that uses the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcepsilonR1alpha) is not suitable for diagnosing IBH or equine atopy, due to inadequate delineation between disease presence and absence.
  • The study emphasizes the importance of setting the correct cut-off level for different allergens while performing the ELISA.

Cite This Article

APA
Frey R, Bergvall K, Egenvall A. (2008). Allergen-specific IgE in Icelandic horses with insect bite hypersensitivity and healthy controls, assessed by FcepsilonR1alpha-based serology. Vet Immunol Immunopathol, 126(1-2), 102-109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetimm.2008.06.010

Publication

Veterinary immunology and immunopathology
ISSN: 0165-2427
NlmUniqueID: 8002006
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 126
Issue: 1-2
Pages: 102-109

Researcher Affiliations

Frey, Rebecka
  • Norsholms Djursjukhus, Biskop Henriks v. 6, S-610 21 Norsholm, Sweden. rebecka.frey@telia.com
Bergvall, Kerstin
    Egenvall, Agneta

      MeSH Terms

      • Allergens / immunology
      • Animals
      • Case-Control Studies
      • Female
      • Fungi / immunology
      • Horse Diseases / genetics
      • Horse Diseases / immunology
      • Horses
      • Hypersensitivity, Immediate / epidemiology
      • Hypersensitivity, Immediate / immunology
      • Hypersensitivity, Immediate / veterinary
      • Iceland / epidemiology
      • Immunoglobulin E / blood
      • Insect Bites and Stings / immunology
      • Male
      • Pollen / immunology
      • Receptors, IgE / blood
      • Sweden / epidemiology

      Citations

      This article has been cited 8 times.
      1. Jonsdottir S, Stefansdottir SB, Mirkovitch J, Ziegler A, Torsteinsdottir S, Marti E. Culicoides allergens expressed in insect cells induce sulphidoleukotriene release from peripheral blood leukocytes of horses affected with insect bite hypersensitivity. Front Immunol 2025;16:1597233.
        doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1597233pubmed: 40547015google scholar: lookup
      2. Pessoa VC, Branco-Ferreira M, Jónsdóttir S, Marti E, Tilley P. Comparison of Skin Prick Tests (SPT), Intradermal Tests (IDT) and In Vitro Tests in the Characterization of Insect Bite Hypersensitivity (IBH) in a Population of Lusitano Horses: Contribution for Future Implementation of SPT in IBH Diagnosis. Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 28;13(17).
        doi: 10.3390/ani13172733pubmed: 37684997google scholar: lookup
      3. Birras J, White SJ, Jonsdottir S, Novotny EN, Ziegler A, Wilson AD, Frey R, Torsteinsdottir S, Alcocer M, Marti E. First clinical expression of equine insect bite hypersensitivity is associated with co-sensitization to multiple Culicoides allergens. PLoS One 2021;16(11):e0257819.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257819pubmed: 34780496google scholar: lookup
      4. Novotny EN, White SJ, Wilson AD, Stefánsdóttir SB, Tijhaar E, Jonsdóttir S, Frey R, Reiche D, Rose H, Rhyner C, Schüpbach-Regula G, Torsteinsdóttir S, Alcocer M, Marti E. Component-resolved microarray analysis of IgE sensitization profiles to Culicoides recombinant allergens in horses with insect bite hypersensitivity. Allergy 2021 Apr;76(4):1147-1157.
        doi: 10.1111/all.14556pubmed: 32780483google scholar: lookup
      5. Raza F, Ivanek R, Freer H, Reiche D, Rose H, Torsteinsdóttir S, Svansson V, Björnsdóttir S, Wagner B. Cul o 2 specific IgG3/5 antibodies predicted Culicoides hypersensitivity in a group imported Icelandic horses. BMC Vet Res 2020 Aug 10;16(1):283.
        doi: 10.1186/s12917-020-02499-wpubmed: 32778104google scholar: lookup
      6. François L, Hoskens H, Velie BD, Stinckens A, Tinel S, Lamberigts C, Peeters L, Savelkoul HFJ, Tijhaar E, Lindgren G, Janssens S, Ducro BJ, Buys N, Schurink AA. Genomic Regions Associated with IgE Levels against Culicoides spp. Antigens in Three Horse Breeds. Genes (Basel) 2019 Aug 8;10(8).
        doi: 10.3390/genes10080597pubmed: 31398914google scholar: lookup
      7. Verdon M, Lanz S, Rhyner C, Gerber V, Marti E. Allergen-specific immunoglobulin E in sera of horses affected with insect bite hypersensitivity, severe equine asthma or both conditions. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Jan;33(1):266-274.
        doi: 10.1111/jvim.15355pubmed: 30520523google scholar: lookup
      8. Einhorn L, Hofstetter G, Brandt S, Hainisch EK, Fukuda I, Kusano K, Scheynius A, Mittermann I, Resch-Marat Y, Vrtala S, Valenta R, Marti E, Rhyner C, Crameri R, Satoh R, Teshima R, Tanaka A, Sato H, Matsuda H, Pali-Schöll I, Jensen-Jarolim E. Molecular allergen profiling in horses by microarray reveals Fag e 2 from buckwheat as a frequent sensitizer. Allergy 2018 Jul;73(7):1436-1446.
        doi: 10.1111/all.13417pubmed: 29350763google scholar: lookup
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