An immunodeficiency in Fell ponies: a preliminary study into cellular responses.
Abstract: A putative immunodeficiency, causing mortality in UK Fell pony foals (Fell pony syndrome), was studied in affected foals and compared with healthy, age-matched foals. Differential cell counts of peripheral blood indicated that the syndrome foals were lymphopenic (P<0.05). Flow cytometric analysis of circulating leucocytes showed a reduced MHC II expression (P<0.01) on lymphocytes but not on polymorphonuclear cells in affected foals. There were no changes in the percentages of CD4+ or CD8+ T cells. There was an increased (P<0.05) expression of CD11a/18 by the lymphocytes of the syndrome foals, compared to the control foals, which is probably a response to systemic bacterial infections. The syndrome foals' lymphocytes responded to mitogens (PHA, ConA, PWM) at normal levels. The data do not conform to any known immunodeficiencies identified in any other species. Further analyses will be required, particularly on bone marrow function.
Publication Date: 2002-01-05 PubMed ID: 11770991DOI: 10.2746/042516401776249309Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article studies a potential immune deficiency (Fell pony syndrome) that causes mortality in UK Fell pony foals. The study compares the immune responses of affected foals to those of healthy foals of the same age and finds some crucial differences, but no match with known immunodeficiencies in other species.
Study Subjects and Process
- The researchers conducted the study on Fell pony foals affected by what they believe is an immunodeficiency causing the Fell pony syndrome, a condition resulting in mortality in these ponies in the UK.
- Healthy, age-matched foals were used as controls in the study. The immune responses of the affected foals were compared with those of the control foals.
Study Findings
- The affected foals turned out to be lymphopenic, indicating a lower number of lymphocytes in their peripheral blood.
- The researchers also discovered a reduced expression of Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) II on the lymphocytes, but not on polymorphonuclear cells in the affected foals. This could be a part of the immunodeficiency under study.
- There were no changes in the percentages of CD4+ or CD8+ T cells, crucial components of the immune system, between affected and control foals.
- Lymphocytes in the affected foals showed an increased expression of CD11a/18, which, according to the scientists, could be likely due to systemic bacterial infections associated with the syndrome.
- The affected foals’ lymphocytes responded to mitogens (PHA, ConA, PWM), substances that induce cell division, at normal levels, similar to the responses seen in healthy foals.
Conclusion of the Research Article
- The researchers concluded that the data gathered from their study do not match with any of the known immunodeficiencies identified in other species.
- This suggests that the immunity issue observed in Fell pony foals may be unique to them and doesn’t conform to known immunologic patterns.
- Additional analyses are recommended, specifically on bone marrow function, to further understand and potentially categorize this immunodeficiency.
Cite This Article
APA
Bell SC, Savidge C, Taylor P, Knottenbelt DC, Carter SD.
(2002).
An immunodeficiency in Fell ponies: a preliminary study into cellular responses.
Equine Vet J, 33(7), 687-692.
https://doi.org/10.2746/042516401776249309 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Science and Animal Husbandry, The University Of Liverpool, UK.
MeSH Terms
- Age Factors
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Breeding
- CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
- CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes
- Flow Cytometry / veterinary
- Genes, MHC Class II
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Horses
- Immunity, Cellular
- Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / immunology
- Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / veterinary
- Lymphocyte Activation
- Lymphopenia / immunology
- Lymphopenia / veterinary
- United Kingdom
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Tallmadge RL, Stokol T, Gould-Earley MJ, Earley E, Secor EJ, Matychak MB, Felippe MJ. Fell Pony syndrome: characterization of developmental hematopoiesis failure and associated gene expression profiles. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2012 Jul;19(7):1054-64.
- Fox-Clipsham LY, Carter SD, Goodhead I, Hall N, Knottenbelt DC, May PD, Ollier WE, Swinburne JE. Identification of a mutation associated with fatal Foal Immunodeficiency Syndrome in the Fell and Dales pony. PLoS Genet 2011 Jul;7(7):e1002133.
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