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Cytokine gene signatures in neural tissue of horses with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis or equine herpes type 1 myeloencephalopathy.
Abstract: This study was designed to determine the relative levels of gene transcription of selected pathogens and cytokines in the brain and spinal cord of 12 horses with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), 11 with equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) myeloencephalopathy, and 12 healthy control horses by applying a real time pcr to the formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues. Total rna was extracted from each tissue, transcribed to complementary dna (cDNA) and assayed for Sarcocystis neurona, Neospora hughesi, EHV-1, equine GAPDH (housekeeping gene), tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interferon (IFN)-gamma, interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 AND IL-12 p40. S neurona cdna was detected in the neural tissue from all 12 horses with EPM, and two of them also had amplifiable cDNA of N hughesi. The relative levels of transcription of protozoal cdna ranged from 1 to 461 times baseline (mean 123). All the horses with ehv-1 myeloencephalopathy had positive viral signals by PCR with relative levels of transcription ranging from 1 to 1618 times baseline (mean 275). All the control horses tested negative for S neurona, N hughesi and EHV-1 cdna. The cytokine profiles of each disease indicated a balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory markers. In the horses with epm the pro-inflammatory Th1 cytokines (IL-8, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma) were commonly expressed but the anti-inflammatory Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-6 AND IL-10) were absent or rare. In the horses with ehv-1 the proinflammatory cytokine IL-8 was commonly expressed, but IL-10 and IFN-gamma were not, and TNF-alpha was rare. Tissue from the control horses expressed only the gene GAPDH.
Publication Date: 2006-09-12 PubMed ID: 16963713DOI: 10.1136/vr.159.11.341Google 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.
- Journal Article
Summary
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The researchers conducted a comparative study to determine the levels of transcription of specific pathogens and cytokines in the neural tissue of horses suffering from two different neurological diseases, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) and equine herpesvirus type 1 myeloencephalopathy (EHV-1); and healthy horses were used as a control group.
Study Methodology
- The study involved samples from the brain and spinal cord of 12 horses suffering from EPM, 11 horses with EHV-1, and 12 normal, healthy horses which formed the control group.
- The researchers used a technique called real-time PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) on tissues that were preserved using formalin and embedded in paraffin.
- Total RNA was extracted from each tissue sample and converted into complementary DNA (cDNA).
- The cDNA was then assayed for a list of pathogens and cytokines. These included Sarcocystis neurona, Neospora hughesi, EHV-1, and several different types of cytokines related to inflammation.
Results and Findings
- Sarcocystis neurona cDNA was present in all horses suffering from EPM, with two of them also showing the presence of Neospora hughesi cDNA.
- Horses suffering from EHV-1 showed positive viral signals detected through PCR. The transcriptional levels of these samples varied, with transcription levels ranging from 1 to 1618 times the baseline. All 11 horses in this category tested positive for EHV-1 cDNA.
- None of the control horses showed presence of Sarcocystis neurona, Neospora hughesi or EHV-1 cDNA.
- The inflammation markers (cytokine profiles) varied between the two diseases. In horses with EPM, pro-inflammatory cytokines were consistently expressed, while in horses with EHV-1, the expression of proinflammatory cytokines differed.
Conclusion
- Despite both being neurological diseases, EPM and EHV-1 presented different cytokine profiles among the affected horses.
- This research increases our understanding of the response of equine neural tissue to specific neurologic pathogens and could aid in developing targeted therapy for these diseases.
Cite This Article
APA
Pusterla N, Wilson WD, Conrad PA, Barr BC, Ferraro GL, Daft BM, Leutenegger CM.
(2006).
Cytokine gene signatures in neural tissue of horses with equine protozoal myeloencephalitis or equine herpes type 1 myeloencephalopathy.
Vet Rec, 159(11), 341-346.
https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.159.11.341 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cytokines / biosynthesis
- Cytokines / genetics
- DNA, Complementary / analysis
- Encephalomyelitis / immunology
- Encephalomyelitis / parasitology
- Encephalomyelitis / veterinary
- Encephalomyelitis / virology
- Gene Expression Regulation / immunology
- Herpesviridae Infections / immunology
- Herpesviridae Infections / metabolism
- Herpesviridae Infections / veterinary
- Herpesvirus 1, Equid
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Horses
- Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
- Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
- Protozoan Infections, Animal / immunology
- Protozoan Infections, Animal / metabolism
- Transcription, Genetic
Citations
This article has been cited 8 times.- Enriquez CK, Morrow JK, Graves A, Johnson A. Evaluation of real-time polymerase chain reaction for the diagnosis of protozoal myeloencephalitis in horses using cerebrospinal fluid. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Sep-Oct;37(5):1893-1898.
- Samoilowa S, Giessler KS, Torres CEM, Hussey GS, Allum A, Fux R, Jerke C, Kiupel M, Matiasek K, Sledge DG, Goehring LS. Equid herpesvirus-1 Distribution in Equine Lymphoid and Neural Tissues 70 Days Post Infection. Pathogens 2021 Jun 5;10(6).
- Giessler KS, Samoilowa S, Soboll Hussey G, Kiupel M, Matiasek K, Sledge DG, Liesche F, Schlegel J, Fux R, Goehring LS. Viral Load and Cell Tropism During Early Latent Equid Herpesvirus 1 Infection Differ Over Time in Lymphoid and Neural Tissue Samples From Experimentally Infected Horses. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:621.
- Maxwell LK, Bentz BG, Gilliam LL, Ritchey JW, Pusterla N, Eberle R, Holbrook TC, McFarlane D, Rezabek GB, Meinkoth J, Whitfield C, Goad CL, Allen GP. Efficacy of the early administration of valacyclovir hydrochloride for the treatment of neuropathogenic equine herpesvirus type-1 infection in horses. Am J Vet Res 2017 Oct;78(10):1126-1139.
- Dubey JP, Howe DK, Furr M, Saville WJ, Marsh AE, Reed SM, Grigg ME. An update on Sarcocystis neurona infections in animals and equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Vet Parasitol 2015 Apr 15;209(1-2):1-42.
- Davies RS, Madigan JE, Hodzic E, Borjesson DL, Dumler JS. Dexamethasone-induced cytokine changes associated with diminished disease severity in horses infected with Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2011 Nov;18(11):1962-8.
- Scorpio DG, Leutenegger C, Berger J, Barat N, Madigan JE, Dumler JS. Sequential analysis of Anaplasma phagocytophilum msp2 transcription in murine and equine models of human granulocytic anaplasmosis. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2008 Mar;15(3):418-24.
- Kambayashi Y, Bannai H, Nemoto M, Kawanishi N, Niwa H, Tsujimura K. Comparative analysis of 3 qPCR primer-probe sets for the detection of equid alphaherpesvirus 1. J Vet Diagn Invest 2026 Jan;38(1):77-83.
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