Detection of antibodies to Aspergillus fumigatus in serum of horses with mycosis of the auditory tube diverticulum (guttural pouch).

This research is about the detection of antibodies to Aspergillus fumigatus in horses’ serum to aid in diagnosing mycosis of the auditory tube diverticulum, also known as guttural pouch mycosis (GPM) . The study suggests that reactivity to 22- and 26-kd Aspergillus fumigatus antigens in immunoblot analysis could be diagnostic for GPM in horses.

Research Methodology

• The research was conducted on 12 clinically healthy horses considered as controls and 12 horses diagnosed with Guter pouch mycosis (GPM) by endoscopic observation of characteristic mycotic plaques;
• Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and immunoblot analysis with extracellular antigens were used to detect the presence of antibodies for Aspergillus fumigatus in horses’ serum;

Research Findings

• The study found the presence of antibodies against Aspergillus fumigatus antigens in both healthy and diseased horses;
• The titer or concentration of total Aspergillus antibodies was not indicative of GPM;
• However, immunoblot analysis indicated constant recognition of 22- and 26-kd antigens of Aspergillus fumigatus in the sera of diseased horses.

Research Conclusion

• The researchers concluded that the reactivity to 22- and 26-kd antigens of Aspergillus fumigatus, as determined by the immunoblot analysis, appeared diagnostic for GPM in horses, establishing a potential alternative method for diagnosing GPM;
• This suggests that while the presence of Aspergillus antibodies in itself is not diagnostic of the disease, constant detection of specific antigens (22- and 26-kd) could play a significant role in diagnosing GPM in horses.