[An attempt at demonstrating the participation of autoaggressive processes in the pathogenesis of periodic eye inflammation in horses].

This research investigates the potential role of self-directed immune reactions in the occurrence of recurring eye inflammation in horses. The research specifically focuses on the immune responses of horses against the antigens in the lens and tunica vascularis of the eye.

Objective of the Study

• The primary aim of the research is to determine if autoaggressive processes, essentially instances where the body’s immune system mistakenly targets its own cells, contribute to periodic eye inflammation in horses. They do this by examining the immune reactivity of horses against the antigens of the lens and tunica vascularis, the vascular layer of the eye.

Methodology

• The researchers prepared antigens from the lens and tunica vascularis of the eye in their lab and used these antigens in various tests, both in vivo (within the living horses) and in vitro (outside the living organism, in a controlled lab environment).
• The in vivo tests included skin tests and Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis (PCA), designed to measure the horses’ reactivity to the antigens.
• Immunodiffusion (ID) tests were also conducted to detect specific antibodies to the lens antigens in vitro.

Findings

• Results varied, but some positive reactions were observed from the skin tests, indicating potential autoaggressive activity. Out of 24 horses, six showed instant reactions and seven showed slower reactions to lens antigens. Positive reactions to antigens from tunica vascularis were found in nine and eight cases, respectively.
• PCA tests did not show any positive reactions. In the ID tests, antibodies against the lens antigens were only found in two cases.

Interpretation

• The observed reactions from the skin tests suggest that autoaggressive processes may indeed play a part in periodic eye inflammation in some horses.
• The lack of positive responses in the PCA and minimal responses in the ID tests underscore that the autoaggressive processes, if indeed present, are not universally applicable to all cases of periodic eye inflammation.
• These findings indicate the need for further research into more specific antigen responses and their role in periodic eye inflammations in horses.