FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / J Vet Intern Med / Effects of genetic and environmental factors on chronic lowe...
Journal of veterinary internal medicine2007; 21(1); 149-156; doi: 10.1892/0891-6640(2007)21[149:eogaef]2.0.co;2

Effects of genetic and environmental factors on chronic lower airway disease in horses.

Abstract: Environment and genetics influence the manifestation of recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), but the associations of specific factors with mild, moderate, and severe clinical signs are unknown. Objective: We hypothesized that sire, feed, bedding, time outdoors, sex, and age are associated with clinical manifestations of mild, moderate, and severe lower airway disease. Methods: Direct offspring of 2 RAO-affected Warmblood stallions (F1S1, n = 172; F1S2, n = 135); maternal half-siblings of F1S1 (mHSS1, n = 66); and an age-matched, randomly chosen control group (CG, n = 33). Methods: A standardized questionnaire was used to assess potential risk factors and to establish a horse owner assessed respiratory signs index (HOARSI 1-4, from healthy to severe) according to clinical signs of lower airway disease. Results: More F1S1 and F1S2 horses showed moderate to severe clinical signs (HOARSI 3 and HOARSI 4 combined, 29.6 and 27.3%, respectively) compared with CG and mHSS1 horses (9.1 and 6.2%, respectively; contingency table overall test, P < .001). Sire, hay feeding, and age (in decreasing order of strength) were associated with more severe clinical signs (higher HOARSI), more frequent coughing, and nasal discharge. Conclusions: There is a genetic predisposition and lesser but also marked effects of hay feeding and age on the manifestation of moderate to severe clinical signs, most markedly on coughing frequency. In contrast, mild clinical signs were not associated with sire or hay feeding in our populations.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2007-03-07 PubMed ID: 17338163DOI: 10.1892/0891-6640(2007)21[149:eogaef]2.0.co;2Google 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.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research investigated the impact of both genetic and environmental factors on chronic lower airway disease in horses, revealing a significant influence from sire lineage, age, and the type of feed utilized.

Objective and Hypothesis

The main objective of the research was to understand the correlation between various factors (namely sire, feed, bedding, time outdoors, sex, and age) with different intensities of clinical manifestations, such as mild, moderate, and severe lower airway disease in horses. The scientists hypothesized that these factors had a significant association with the severity of these diseases.

Methods

The researchers studied three groups of horses for this experiment.

  • The first group consisted of the direct offspring of two Warmblood stallions affected by Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO), generating two sub-groups F1S1 and F1S2.
  • The second group included maternal half-siblings of the F1S1 group.
  • The third group was used as a control group, consisting of an age-matched, randomly chosen set of horses.

The researchers used a standardized questionnaire to assess possible risk factors and gather data on the clinical signs of lower airway disease. They also established a Horse Owner Assessed Respiratory Signs Index (HOARSI), ranging from 1-4 (healthy to severe), to effectively assess the severity of the disease manifestations.

Results

The researchers found that compared to the control and maternal half-sibling groups, more horses from the stallion offspring groups (F1S1 and F1S2) showed moderate to severe clinical signs. In particular, they discovered correlations between the sire, hay feeding, and age with more severe signs of lower airway disease, which included more frequent coughing and nasal discharge.

Conclusion

The study concludes that genetic predisposition plays a critical role in the manifestation of moderate to severe clinical signs of chronic lower airway disease among horses. It identified sire lineage, age, and type of feed, specifically hay feeding, as significant factors. Interestingly, mild signs of the disease were not associated with either sire lineage or hay feeding within the studied population. It is evident by the study findings that while there is a lesser effect from feed type and age, they too make a marked impact on the severity of lower airway disease symptoms.

Cite This Article

APA
Ramseyer A, Gaillard C, Burger D, Straub R, Jost U, Boog C, Marti E, Gerber V. (2007). Effects of genetic and environmental factors on chronic lower airway disease in horses. J Vet Intern Med, 21(1), 149-156. https://doi.org/10.1892/0891-6640(2007)21[149:eogaef]2.0.co;2

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 0891-6640
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 21
Issue: 1
Pages: 149-156

Researcher Affiliations

Ramseyer, Alessandra
  • Equine Clinic, Vetsuisse-Faculty, University of Berne, Switzerland.
Gaillard, Claude
    Burger, Dominik
      Straub, Reto
        Jost, Ursula
          Boog, Cornel
            Marti, Eliane
              Gerber, Vincent

                MeSH Terms

                • Animals
                • Chronic Disease
                • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
                • Horse Diseases / etiology
                • Horse Diseases / genetics
                • Horses
                • Male
                • Respiratory Tract Diseases / etiology
                • Respiratory Tract Diseases / genetics
                • Respiratory Tract Diseases / veterinary
                • Risk Factors

                Citations

                This article has been cited 46 times.
                1. Padoan E, Ferraresso S, Pegolo S, Barnini C, Castagnaro M, Bargelloni L. Gene Expression Profiles of the Immuno-Transcriptome in Equine Asthma. Animals (Basel) 2022 Dec 20;13(1).
                  doi: 10.3390/ani13010004pubmed: 36611613google scholar: lookup
                2. Wyler M, Sage SE, Marti E, White S, Gerber V. Protein microarray allergen profiling in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and serum of horses with asthma. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Jan;37(1):328-337.
                  doi: 10.1111/jvim.16600pubmed: 36479920google scholar: lookup
                3. Sage SE, Nicholson P, Leeb T, Gerber V, Jagannathan V. Long-Read Transcriptome of Equine Bronchoalveolar Cells. Genes (Basel) 2022 Sep 25;13(10).
                  doi: 10.3390/genes13101722pubmed: 36292607google scholar: lookup
                4. Sage SE, Nicholson P, Peters LM, Leeb T, Jagannathan V, Gerber V. Single-cell gene expression analysis of cryopreserved equine bronchoalveolar cells. Front Immunol 2022;13:929922.
                  doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.929922pubmed: 36105804google scholar: lookup
                5. Gressler AE, Lübke S, Wagner B, Arnold C, Lohmann KL, Schnabel CL. Comprehensive Flow Cytometric Characterization of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Cells Indicates Comparable Phenotypes Between Asthmatic and Healthy Horses But Functional Lymphocyte Differences. Front Immunol 2022;13:896255.
                  doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.896255pubmed: 35874777google scholar: lookup
                6. Simões J, Batista M, Tilley P. The Immune Mechanisms of Severe Equine Asthma-Current Understanding and What Is Missing. Animals (Basel) 2022 Mar 16;12(6).
                  doi: 10.3390/ani12060744pubmed: 35327141google scholar: lookup
                7. Herteman N, Mosing M, Waldmann AD, Gerber V, Schoster A. Exercise-induced airflow changes in horses with asthma measured by electrical impedance tomography. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Sep;35(5):2500-2510.
                  doi: 10.1111/jvim.16260pubmed: 34505734google scholar: lookup
                8. Borowska A, Wolska D, Niedzwiedz A, Borowicz H, Jaworski Z, Siemieniuch M, Szwaczkowski T. Some Genetic and Environmental Effects on Equine Asthma in Polish Konik Horses. Animals (Basel) 2021 Aug 3;11(8).
                  doi: 10.3390/ani11082285pubmed: 34438743google scholar: lookup
                9. Vitale V, Bonelli F, Briganti A, Sgorbini M. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytological findings in healthy Amiata donkeys. Open Vet J 2021 Jan-Mar;11(1):160-164.
                  doi: 10.4314/ovj.v11i1.23pubmed: 33898298google scholar: lookup
                10. Davis KU, Sheats MK. The Role of Neutrophils in the Pathophysiology of Asthma in Humans and Horses. Inflammation 2021 Apr;44(2):450-465.
                  doi: 10.1007/s10753-020-01362-2pubmed: 33150539google scholar: lookup
                11. Couetil L, Cardwell JM, Leguillette R, Mazan M, Richard E, Bienzle D, Bullone M, Gerber V, Ivester K, Lavoie JP, Martin J, Moran G, Niedźwiedź A, Pusterla N, Swiderski C. Equine Asthma: Current Understanding and Future Directions. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:450.
                  doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00450pubmed: 32903600google scholar: lookup
                12. Kaiser-Thom S, Hilty M, Gerber V. Effects of hypersensitivity disorders and environmental factors on the equine intestinal microbiota. Vet Q 2020 Dec;40(1):97-107.
                  doi: 10.1080/01652176.2020.1745317pubmed: 32189583google scholar: lookup
                13. Lesimple C. Indicators of Horse Welfare: State-of-the-Art. Animals (Basel) 2020 Feb 13;10(2).
                  doi: 10.3390/ani10020294pubmed: 32069888google scholar: lookup
                14. Raudsepp T, Finno CJ, Bellone RR, Petersen JL. Ten years of the horse reference genome: insights into equine biology, domestication and population dynamics in the post-genome era. Anim Genet 2019 Dec;50(6):569-597.
                  doi: 10.1111/age.12857pubmed: 31568563google scholar: lookup
                15. Klier J, Bartl C, Geuder S, Geh KJ, Reese S, Goehring LS, Winter G, Gehlen H. Immunomodulatory asthma therapy in the equine animal model: A dose-response study and evaluation of a long-term effect. Immun Inflamm Dis 2019 Sep;7(3):130-149.
                  doi: 10.1002/iid3.252pubmed: 31141308google scholar: lookup
                16. Gy C, Leclere M, Vargas A, Grimes C, Lavoie JP. Investigation of blood biomarkers for the diagnosis of mild to moderate asthma in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Jul;33(4):1789-1795.
                  doi: 10.1111/jvim.15505pubmed: 31099114google scholar: lookup
                17. Verdon M, Lanz S, Rhyner C, Gerber V, Marti E. Allergen-specific immunoglobulin E in sera of horses affected with insect bite hypersensitivity, severe equine asthma or both conditions. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Jan;33(1):266-274.
                  doi: 10.1111/jvim.15355pubmed: 30520523google scholar: lookup
                18. Orard M, Hue E, Couroucé A, Bizon-Mercier C, Toquet MP, Moore-Colyer M, Couëtil L, Pronost S, Paillot R, Demoor M, Richard EA. The influence of hay steaming on clinical signs and airway immune response in severe asthmatic horses. BMC Vet Res 2018 Nov 15;14(1):345.
                  doi: 10.1186/s12917-018-1636-4pubmed: 30442129google scholar: lookup
                19. Tessier L, Côté O, Bienzle D. Sequence variant analysis of RNA sequences in severe equine asthma. PeerJ 2018;6:e5759.
                  doi: 10.7717/peerj.5759pubmed: 30324028google scholar: lookup
                20. Bond S, Léguillette R, Richard EA, Couetil L, Lavoie JP, Martin JG, Pirie RS. Equine asthma: Integrative biologic relevance of a recently proposed nomenclature. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Nov;32(6):2088-2098.
                  doi: 10.1111/jvim.15302pubmed: 30294851google scholar: lookup
                21. Mason VC, Schaefer RJ, McCue ME, Leeb T, Gerber V. eQTL discovery and their association with severe equine asthma in European Warmblood horses. BMC Genomics 2018 Aug 2;19(1):581.
                  doi: 10.1186/s12864-018-4938-9pubmed: 30071827google scholar: lookup
                22. Pacholewska A, Kraft MF, Gerber V, Jagannathan V. Differential Expression of Serum MicroRNAs Supports CD4⁺ T Cell Differentiation into Th2/Th17 Cells in Severe Equine Asthma. Genes (Basel) 2017 Dec 12;8(12).
                  doi: 10.3390/genes8120383pubmed: 29231896google scholar: lookup
                23. Lange CD, Axiak Flammer S, Gerber V, Kindt D, Koch C. Complementary and alternative medicine for the management of orthopaedic problems in Swiss Warmblood horses. Vet Med Sci 2017 Aug;3(3):125-133.
                  doi: 10.1002/vms3.64pubmed: 29067209google scholar: lookup
                24. Lanz S, Brunner A, Graubner C, Marti E, Gerber V. Insect Bite Hypersensitivity in Horses is Associated with Airway Hyperreactivity. J Vet Intern Med 2017 Nov;31(6):1877-1883.
                  doi: 10.1111/jvim.14817pubmed: 28921663google scholar: lookup
                25. Pacholewska A, Marti E, Leeb T, Jagannathan V, Gerber V. LPS-induced modules of co-expressed genes in equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells. BMC Genomics 2017 Jan 5;18(1):34.
                  doi: 10.1186/s12864-016-3390-ypubmed: 28056766google scholar: lookup
                26. Miskovic Feutz M, Couetil LL, Riley CP, Zhang X, Adamec J, Raskin RE. Secretoglobin and Transferrin Expression in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid of Horses with Chronic Respiratory Disease. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Nov-Dec;29(6):1692-9.
                  doi: 10.1111/jvim.13604pubmed: 26332291google scholar: lookup
                27. Pacholewska A, Jagannathan V, Drögemüller M, Klukowska-Rötzler J, Lanz S, Hamza E, Dermitzakis ET, Marti E, Leeb T, Gerber V. Impaired Cell Cycle Regulation in a Natural Equine Model of Asthma. PLoS One 2015;10(8):e0136103.
                  doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136103pubmed: 26292153google scholar: lookup
                28. Kehrli D, Jandova V, Fey K, Jahn P, Gerber V. Multiple hypersensitivities including recurrent airway obstruction, insect bite hypersensitivity, and urticaria in 2 warmblood horse populations. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Jan;29(1):320-6.
                  doi: 10.1111/jvim.12473pubmed: 25270534google scholar: lookup
                29. Bosshard S, Gerber V. Evaluation of coughing and nasal discharge as early indicators for an increased risk to develop equine recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). J Vet Intern Med 2014 Mar-Apr;28(2):618-23.
                  doi: 10.1111/jvim.12279pubmed: 24417562google scholar: lookup
                30. Racine J, Gerber V, Feutz MM, Riley CP, Adamec J, Swinburne JE, Couetil LL. Comparison of genomic and proteomic data in recurrent airway obstruction affected horses using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis®. BMC Vet Res 2011 Aug 15;7:48.
                  doi: 10.1186/1746-6148-7-48pubmed: 21843342google scholar: lookup
                31. Swinburne JE, Bogle H, Klukowska-Rötzler J, Drögemüller M, Leeb T, Temperton E, Dolf G, Gerber V. A whole-genome scan for recurrent airway obstruction in Warmblood sport horses indicates two positional candidate regions. Mamm Genome 2009 Aug;20(8):504-15.
                  doi: 10.1007/s00335-009-9214-5pubmed: 19760324google scholar: lookup
                32. Riihimäki M, Raine A, Elfman L, Pringle J. Markers of respiratory inflammation in horses in relation to seasonal changes in air quality in a conventional racing stable. Can J Vet Res 2008 Oct;72(5):432-9.
                  pubmed: 19086376
                33. Bouverat VMA, Naef J, Dolf G, Lamon I, Sage SE, Gerber V. Minimising feeding behaviour interference: A hay-shaker device to assess dust exposure in horses. Equine Vet J 2025 Nov;57(6):1666-1676.
                  doi: 10.1111/evj.14492pubmed: 40028851google scholar: lookup
                34. Sanz MG, Jellen G, Cody L, Bergsma J, Cha M, Kogan C, Kordas G, Bayly WM, Leguillette R. Use of inhaled ciclesonide for treatment of moderate asthma in Thoroughbred racehorses. J Vet Intern Med 2025 Mar-Apr;39(2):e17267.
                  doi: 10.1111/jvim.17267pubmed: 39945569google scholar: lookup
                35. Lendl L, Barton AK. Equine Asthma Diagnostics: Review of Influencing Factors and Difficulties in Diagnosing Subclinical Disease. Animals (Basel) 2024 Dec 4;14(23).
                  doi: 10.3390/ani14233504pubmed: 39682469google scholar: lookup
                36. Meiseberg LK, Delarocque J, de Buhr N, Ohnesorge B. Clinical variability of equine asthma phenotypes and analysis of diagnostic steps in phenotype differentiation. Acta Vet Scand 2024 Sep 18;66(1):51.
                  doi: 10.1186/s13028-024-00773-7pubmed: 39294710google scholar: lookup
                37. Dély S, Gerber V, Peters LM, Sage SE. Association between equine asthma and fungal elements in the tracheal wash: An environment-matched case-control study. PLoS One 2024;19(9):e0309835.
                  doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0309835pubmed: 39240830google scholar: lookup
                38. Wjst VF, Lübke S, Wagner B, Rhyner C, Jentsch MC, Arnold C, Lohmann KL, Schnabel CL. Aspergillus fumigatus antigen-reactive Th17 cells are enriched in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in severe equine asthma. Front Immunol 2024;15:1367971.
                  doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1367971pubmed: 39229267google scholar: lookup
                39. Lo Feudo CM, Ferrucci F, Bizzotto D, Dellacà R, Lavoie JP, Stucchi L. Differences in pulmonary function measured by oscillometry between horses with mild-moderate equine asthma and healthy controls. Equine Vet J 2025 May;57(3):619-628.
                  doi: 10.1111/evj.14206pubmed: 39134475google scholar: lookup
                40. Mańkowska A, Witkowska D. The Most Common Environmental Risk Factors for Equine Asthma-A Narrative Review. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jul 14;14(14).
                  doi: 10.3390/ani14142062pubmed: 39061524google scholar: lookup
                41. Jentsch MC, Keilhaue A, Wagner B, Rhyner C, Lübke S, Karagulyan M, Arnold C, Lohmann KL, Schnabel CL. Aspergillus fumigatus binding IgA and IgG1 are increased in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of horses with neutrophilic asthma. Front Immunol 2024;15:1406794.
                  doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1406794pubmed: 38953030google scholar: lookup
                42. Jentsch MC, Lübke S, Schrödl W, Volke D, Krizsan A, Hoffmann R, Kaiser-Thom S, Gerber V, Marti E, Wagner B, Schnabel CL. Immunoproteomics enable broad identification of new Aspergillus fumigatus antigens in severe equine asthma. Front Immunol 2024;15:1347164.
                  doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1347164pubmed: 38487534google scholar: lookup
                43. Greim E, Naef J, Mainguy-Seers S, Lavoie JP, Sage S, Dolf G, Gerber V. Breath characteristics and adventitious lung sounds in healthy and asthmatic horses. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Jan-Feb;38(1):495-504.
                  doi: 10.1111/jvim.16980pubmed: 38192117google scholar: lookup
                44. Schnabel CL, Jentsch MC, Lübke S, Kaiser-Thom S, Gerber V, Vrtala S, Huang HJ, Rhyner C, Wagner B, Hoffmann R, Volke D. Immunoproteomics reveal increased serum IgG3/5 binding to Dermatophagoides and yeast protein antigens in severe equine asthma in a preliminary study. Front Immunol 2023;14:1293684.
                  doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1293684pubmed: 38162673google scholar: lookup
                45. Simões J, Tilley P. Decision Making in Severe Equine Asthma-Diagnosis and Monitoring. Animals (Basel) 2023 Dec 16;13(24).
                  doi: 10.3390/ani13243872pubmed: 38136909google scholar: lookup
                46. Riihimäki M, Fegraeus K, Nordlund J, Waern I, Wernersson S, Akula S, Hellman L, Raine A. Single-cell transcriptomics delineates the immune cell landscape in equine lower airways and reveals upregulation of FKBP5 in horses with asthma. Sci Rep 2023 Sep 27;13(1):16261.
                  doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-43368-4pubmed: 37758813google scholar: lookup
                Subscribe to our newsletter
                Join 99,109 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.