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Equine veterinary journal2024; doi: 10.1111/evj.14080

Endometrial expression of antimicrobial peptides as markers of subclinical endometritis in mares.

Abstract: Endometritis is a major cause of subfertility in mares. Multiparous old mares are more susceptible to developing endometritis given that ageing is associated with an altered immune response and with inadequate physiological uterine clearance after breeding, which can lead to degenerative changes in the endometrium. Molecules such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been proposed as endometritis markers in the equine species. Methods: Cross-sectional. Objective: To investigate the endometrial expression of defensin-beta 4B (DEFB4B), lysozyme (LYZ) and secretory leukocyte peptidase inhibitor (SLPI) genes in mares either affected or not by subclinical endometritis, due to the role of these AMPs in the immune response to bacteria and inflammatory reactions. Methods: Endometrial biopsy for histopathological and gene expression examinations was performed on 26 mares. The inclusion criteria for the normal mare group (NM, N = 7) were 2-4 years of age, maiden status, no clinical signs of endometritis and a uterine biopsy score of I, while for mares affected by subclinical endometritis (EM, N = 19) the inclusion criteria were 10-22 years of age, barren status for 1-3 years, no clinical signs of endometritis and a uterine biopsy score between IIA and III. Results: A significantly higher expression of LYZ (NM: 0.76 [1.84-0.37] vs. EM: 2.78 [5.53-1.44], p = 0.0255) and DEFB4B (NM: 0.06 [0.11-0.01] vs. EM: 0.15 [0.99-0.08], p = 0.0457) genes was found in endometritis mares versus normal mares. Statistically significant moderate positive correlations were found between the level of expression of LYZ gene and both the age (r = 0.4071, p = 0.039) and the biopsy grade (r = 0.4831, p = 0.0124) of the mares. Conclusions: The study investigated a limited number of genes and mares, and the presence/location of the proteins coded by these genes was not confirmed within the endometrium by IHC. Conclusions: If the results of this study are confirmed, LYZ and DEFB4B genes can be used as markers to identify mares that are affected by subclinical endometritis.
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Publication Date: 2024-03-02 PubMed ID: 38430069DOI: 10.1111/evj.14080Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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This study investigates whether the expression of certain antimicrobial peptides in the endometrial tissue of mares can be used as markers to identify subclinical endometritis, a condition causing fertility problems. The study found that significant increases in the expression of two antimicrobial peptides, lysozyme (LYZ) and defensin-beta 4B (DEFB4B), could serve as potential markers.

Background

  • The researchers identified endometritis, an inflammation of the endometrium, as a major cause of subfertility in older mares that have given birth multiple times. This is due in part to changes in the animal’s immune response and an inability to effectively clear the uterus after breeding.
  • Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), including DEFB4B, LYZ, and SLPI, have previously been suggested as potential markers for endometritis in horses due to their role in the immune response to harmful bacteria and inflammation.

Research Methods

  • The study was conducted as a cross-sectional investigation of the presence of these AMPs in the endometrium of mares.
  • 26 mares were biopsied for histopathological and gene expression examinations. Among them, 7 were healthy, young mares classified as the normal mare group, while 19 were older, infertile mares with subclinical endometritis.

Results

  • The study found a significantly higher expression of the LYZ and DEFB4B genes in the mares with endometritis compared to the healthy mares.
  • A positive correlation was found between the level of expression of the LYZ gene and both the age of the mares and the grade of their biopsies, indicating that older mares with a higher incidence of endometritis had higher LYZ expression.

Conclusions

  • The authors concluded that based on this limited sample, LYZ and DEFB4B expressions could potentially be used to identify mares with subclinical endometritis. However, they did also note that the study was limited in scope, and the presence or location of the proteins encoded by these genes within the endometrium was not confirmed through immunohistochemistry (IHC).
  • The results suggest that future research may confirm LYZ and DEFB4B gene expressions as reliable markers for detecting endometritis, though further research with larger samples is necessary.

Cite This Article

APA
Moroni R, Fanelli D, Camillo F, Rota A, Cantile C, Marmorini P, Salamone G, Ori M, Panzani D. (2024). Endometrial expression of antimicrobial peptides as markers of subclinical endometritis in mares. Equine Vet J. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14080

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Moroni, Rebecca
  • Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
Fanelli, Diana
  • Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
Camillo, Francesco
  • Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
Rota, Alessandra
  • Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
Cantile, Carlo
  • Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
Marmorini, Paola
  • Private Practitioner, Pisa, Italy.
Salamone, Giulia
  • Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
Ori, Michela
  • Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
Panzani, Duccio
  • Department of Veterinary Science, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.

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