Association between bronchoalveolar lavage cytologic features and airway reactivity in horses with a history of exercise intolerance.
Abstract: To correlate indices of airway reactivity to bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid cytologic features in horses with a recent decline in exercise tolerance. Methods: 20 actively working horses from 2 to 24 years old. Methods: Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples were obtained and analyzed. Forced oscillatory mechanics (1-7 Hz) technique was used for measurements of total respiratory system resistance (RRS), compliance (CRS), and resonant frequency (fres). Changes in RRS (1 Hz) during histamine challenge were used to generate histamine dose-response curves, from which the provocative concentrations that evoked a 75 or 100% increase in baseline RRS (PCRRS75 and PCRRS 100, respectively) were determined. Age, sex, baseline lung mechanics, and BAL cytologic findings were correlated with PCRRS75 and PCRRS100. Results: No horse of the study had clinical signs or history of obstructive pulmonary disease or increased percentage (> 7%) of neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples. Mean (+/- SEM) RRS, CRS, and fres were 0.67 +/- 0.06 cm of H2O/L/s, 0.52 +/- 0.04 L/cm H2O, and 2.46 +/- 0.02 Hz, respectively. There was no correlation between age or sex, and RRS, CRS, fres, PCRRS75, or PCRRS100. There was a significant correlation (rs = -0.78, P < 0.001) between percentage of BAL fluid mast cells and PCRRS75 or PCRRS100, but correlation with other cell types and indices of airway reactivity were not observed. Conclusions: The strong association between mast cell percentage in BAL fluid and airway reactivity in this group suggests that mast cell products may contribute to bronchospasm, airway wall thickening, and/or loss of elastic recoil, which underlie airway hyperreactivity. Alternatively, mast cells may contribute to nonspecific airway reactivity in horses through unknown mechanisms.
Publication Date: 1998-03-11 PubMed ID: 9492932
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- Journal Article
- Airway Disease
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage
- Clinical Findings
- Clinical Pathology
- Correlation Analysis
- Cytology
- Diagnostic Technique
- Equine Health
- Equine Research
- Exercise Intolerance
- Histamine
- Horses
- Lung Health
- Mast Cells
- Pathophysiology
- Physiology
- Respiratory Disease
- Respiratory Health
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Science
Summary
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The research investigates the correlation between bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid cytologic features and airway reactivity in horses that have recently shown reduced exercise tolerance. The study finds a strong association between the percentage of mast cells in BAL fluid and airway reactivity, indicative that mast cells could be contributing to conditions like bronchospasm, airway wall thickening, and a loss of elastic recoil.
Research Methodology
- The study involved 20 active horses, aged between 2 and 24 years, suffering from a recent decrease in exercise tolerance.
- BAL fluid samples were collected from these horses and analyzed.
- Total respiratory system resistance (RRS), compliance (CRS), and resonant frequency (fres) were all measured through a forced oscillatory mechanics technique operating at 1-7 Hertz.
- RRS changes at 1 Hertz during a histamine challenge were used to create histamine dose-response curves.
- From these curves, the provocative concentrations that led to a 75% or 100% increase in the RRS baseline (PCRRS75 and PCRRS100 respectively), were identified.
- The age, sex, baseline lung mechanics, and BAL cytologic findings of the horses were then correlated with the values of PCRRS75 and PCRRS100.
Research Findings
- None of the horses in the study presented clinical signs or history of obstructive pulmonary disease, or an increased percentage of neutrophils (>7%) in the BAL fluid samples.
- There was no correlation found between the age or sex of the horses, and RRS, CRS, fres, PCRRS75, or PCRRS100 values.
- A significant correlation of -0.78 (P < 0.001) was found between the percentage of mast cells in BAL fluid and the values of PCRRS75 or PCRRS100.
- No correlation was observed between other cell types and indices of airway reactivity.
Conclusions
- The research suggests a strong correlation between the percentage of mast cells in BAL fluid and airway reactivity in horses.
- This implies that products of mast cells may be contributing to bronchospasm, airway wall thickening, and/or loss of elastic recoil resulting in airway hyperreactivity.
- Alternatively, the research proposes that mast cells might influence nonspecific airway reactivity in horses through unknown pathways.
Cite This Article
APA
Hoffman AM, Mazan MR, Ellenberg S.
(1998).
Association between bronchoalveolar lavage cytologic features and airway reactivity in horses with a history of exercise intolerance.
Am J Vet Res, 59(2), 176-181.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bronchial Hyperreactivity / etiology
- Bronchial Hyperreactivity / pathology
- Bronchial Hyperreactivity / veterinary
- Bronchial Provocation Tests / veterinary
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage / methods
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage / veterinary
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / cytology
- Female
- Histamine
- Horse Diseases
- Horses
- Male
- Neutrophils / pathology
- Orchiectomy
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / adverse effects
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
- Physical Exertion / physiology
- Respiratory Function Tests / veterinary
- Statistics, Nonparametric
Citations
This article has been cited 17 times.- Minuto J, Bedenice D, Ceresia M, Zaghloul I, Böhlke M, Mazan MR. Clinical effects and pharmacokinetics of nebulized lidocaine in healthy horses. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:984108.
- Shawaf T, Schuberth HJ, Hussen J. Immune cell composition of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in healthy and respiratory diseased dromedary camels. BMC Vet Res 2022 Sep 21;18(1):353.
- Mahalingam-Dhingra A, Mazan MR, Bedenice D, Ceresia M, Minuto J, Deveney EF. A CONSORT-guided, randomized, double-blind, controlled pilot clinical trial of inhaled lidocaine for the treatment of equine asthma. Can J Vet Res 2022 Apr;86(2):116-124.
- Shawaf T, Almubarak A, Alhumam N, Almathen F, Hussen J. Cytological analysis of tracheal wash and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in health and respiratory disease in dromedary camels. PeerJ 2021;9:e11723.
- Dixon CE, Bedenice D, Mazan MR. Comparison of Flowmetric Plethysmography and Forced Oscillatory Mechanics to Measure Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Horses. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:511023.
- Sheats MK, Davis KU, Poole JA. Comparative Review of Asthma in Farmers and Horses. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 2019 Oct 10;19(11):50.
- Vaught ME, Rozanski EA, deLaforcade AM. Effect of transoral tracheal wash on respiratory mechanics in dogs with respiratory disease. Can J Vet Res 2018 Jan;82(1):75-79.
- Léguillette R, Tohver T, Bond SL, Nicol JA, McDonald KJ. Effect of Dexamethasone and Fluticasone on Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Horses With Inflammatory Airway Disease. J Vet Intern Med 2017 Jul;31(4):1193-1201.
- Barton AK, Gehlen H. Pulmonary Remodeling in Equine Asthma: What Do We Know about Mediators of Inflammation in the Horse?. Mediators Inflamm 2016;2016:5693205.
- Couëtil LL, Cardwell JM, Gerber V, Lavoie JP, Léguillette R, Richard EA. Inflammatory Airway Disease of Horses--Revised Consensus Statement. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Mar-Apr;30(2):503-15.
- Houtsma A, Bedenice D, Pusterla N, Pugliese B, Mapes S, Hoffman AM, Paxson J, Rozanski E, Mukherjee J, Wigley M, Mazan MR. Association between inflammatory airway disease of horses and exposure to respiratory viruses: a case control study. Multidiscip Respir Med 2015;10:33.
- Ivester KM, Couëtil LL, Zimmerman NJ. Investigating the link between particulate exposure and airway inflammation in the horse. J Vet Intern Med 2014 Nov-Dec;28(6):1653-65.
- Ivester KM, Couëtil LL, Moore GE, Zimmerman NJ, Raskin RE. Environmental exposures and airway inflammation in young thoroughbred horses. J Vet Intern Med 2014 May-Jun;28(3):918-24.
- Pacheco AP, Paradis MR, Hoffman AM, Hermida P, Sanchez A, Nadeau JA, Tufts M, Mazan MR. Age effects on blood gas, spirometry, airway reactivity, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology in clinically healthy horses. J Vet Intern Med 2014 Mar-Apr;28(2):603-8.
- Onmaz AC, Stoklas-Schmidt C, van den Hoven R. Daily variability of forced oscillometry parameters in horses suffering recurrent airway obstruction, a pilot study. Vet Res Commun 2013 Mar;37(1):11-7.
- Bartenschlager F, Kuropka B, Schmitz P, Dumke F, Landmann K, Gruber AD, Weise C, Schnabel CL, Gehlen H, Mundhenk L. Proteomic profiling of equine airway mucus reveals compositional changes in asthmatic phenotypes. Sci Rep 2026 Feb 10;16(1):5880.
- Rasmussen N, Karlsen P, Otten ND, Fjeldborg J, Hansen S. Bilateral bronchoalveolar lavage cytology profiles in a warmblood horse population during a 1-year period. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Jul-Aug;38(4):2391-2398.
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