Effects of dexamethasone on development of immunoglobulin G subclass responses following vaccination of horses.
Abstract: To determine the effects of dexamethasone on development of IgG subclass responses following vaccination of healthy horses. Methods: 11 mature Thoroughbreds. Methods: Horses received 2 IM injections at 2-week intervals of a vaccine containing inactivated infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, bovine viral diarrhea, and parainfluenza-3 viral antigens and were then randomly assigned to 2 groups. Six horses received dexamethasone (0.2 mg/kg of body weight, IM) twice weekly for 8 weeks starting the day of the first vaccination. Five control horses received an equivalent volume of saline (0.9% NaCl) solution. Antigen-specific serum IgG subclass titers were determined weekly after vaccination by use of an ELISA. Results: Vaccination resulted in similar antigen-specific serum IgG(T) titers in dexamethasone-treated and control horses. In contrast, although control horses developed IgGa and IgGb responses after vaccination, corticosteroid administration completely inhibited these responses in treated horses. Conclusions: Cortico steroids can have profound effects on primary immune responses in horses and can significantly affect IgG responses to inactivated vaccines. Corticosteroid treatment regimens commonly used to treat diseases in horses may result induction of a nonprotective IgG subclass response, leaving treated horses susceptible to disease. Additionally, mechanisms regulating IgGa and IgGb responses appear to differ from those regulating IgG(T) responses. Further defining these mechanisms is a critical step in designing effective vaccines, and corticosteroid-induced immunomodulation may be a valuable tool for studying immune responses in horses.
Publication Date: 2000-12-29 PubMed ID: 11131594DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.2000.61.1530Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This study investigates the impact of dexamethasone, a type of corticosteroid, on the immune response of horses after vaccination. It suggests that dexamethasone hinders the horses’ development of specific antibody responses, possibly leaving them more susceptible to diseases.
Research Design and Methodology
- Eleven mature Thoroughbred horses were used for this experiment. The horses were given two intra-muscular (IM) injections at two-week intervals. The vaccine included inactivated infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, bovine viral diarrhea, and parainfluenza-3 viral antigens.
- After vaccination, the horses were divided into two groups randomly. Six got dexamethasone twice a week for eight weeks from the day of the first vaccination, while the remaining five, used as control, got a similar amount of saline solution.
- The study then monitored the antigen-specific serum IgG subclass titers weekly after vaccination using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results and Conclusion
- The results showed that dexamethasone administration did not affect the overall IgG(T) immune response after vaccination, as similar titers were found in both treated and control horses. However, it significantly inhibited the development of IgGa and IgGb responses.
- These findings suggest that corticosteroids can significantly alter primary immune responses in horses, affecting their IgG responses to inactive vaccines. Common corticosteroid treatment practices used for disease treatment may as a result prompt a nonprotective IgG subclass response and subsequently increase the horses’ susceptibility to disease.
- The study gives a hint towards a difference in the mechanisms regulating various IgG responses. IgGa and IgGb responses seem to be regulated differently from the IgG(T) responses. More light needs to be shed on these mechanisms for effective vaccine design.
- The study concludes that the immunomodulation induced by corticosteroids could be greatly helpful for future studies on immune responses in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Slack J, Risdahl JM, Valberg SJ, Murphy MJ, Schram BR, Lunn DP.
(2000).
Effects of dexamethasone on development of immunoglobulin G subclass responses following vaccination of horses.
Am J Vet Res, 61(12), 1530-1533.
https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.2000.61.1530 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Antibodies, Viral / blood
- Antibody Formation / drug effects
- Dexamethasone / pharmacology
- Female
- Horses
- Immunoglobulin G / blood
- Immunoglobulin G / classification
- Male
- Skin Tests
- Time Factors
- Vaccines, Inactivated
- Viral Vaccines
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Mainguy-Seers S, Lavoie JP. Glucocorticoid treatment in horses with asthma: A narrative review.. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Jul;35(4):2045-2057.
- Lavoie JP, Leclere M, Rodrigues N, Lemos KR, Bourzac C, Lefebvre-Lavoie J, Beauchamp G, Albrecht B. Efficacy of inhaled budesonide for the treatment of severe equine asthma.. Equine Vet J 2019 May;51(3):401-407.
- Ryan C, Giguère S. Equine neonates have attenuated humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to a killed adjuvanted vaccine compared to adult horses.. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2010 Dec;17(12):1896-902.
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