Endoscopic assessment of airway inflammation in horses.
Abstract: Comprehensive endoscopic scoring of the upper and lower airways for inflammation has not been critically assessed among a large population of horses. The relationship between upper and lower airways described in humans by the "one airway, one disease" concept might also apply to horses. Objective: To evaluate if an association exists between endoscopic inflammatory scores and mucus scores of upper and lower airways and to investigate if endoscopic findings correlate with the lower airway inflammation measured by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology. Methods: Prospective field study. Pharyngitis, pharyngeal mucus, tracheal mucus, tracheal septum thickness, and bronchial mucus were scored using new and previously described scoring systems on a convenience sample of 128 horses with and without lung inflammation. Based on BAL fluid cytology, horses were categorized as having normal, moderate, or severe inflammation of the lower airways. Results: All 5 endoscopy scores showed excellent interobserver agreement. Tracheal mucus (P < .001), tracheal septum thickness (P = .036), and bronchial mucus (P = .037) were significantly increased in horses with severe inflammation BALs and were correlated among themselves but not with upper airways scores. BAL neutrophils percentage was correlated with tracheal mucus (r(s) = 0.41, P < .001), bronchial mucus (r(s) = 0.27, P = .003), and had a weak negative correlation with pharyngitis (r(s) = -0.25, P = .004). Conclusions: Lower airway endoscopy scores are reflective of lower airway inflammation; however, upper and lower airways are independent in terms of severity of inflammation. Therefore, observing upper airway inflammation is not an indication to test for lower airway inflammation.
Copyright © 2011 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Publication Date: 2011-08-30 PubMed ID: 21985142DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2011.00788.xGoogle 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
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 article is about a study conducted to assess if there’s a link between inflammation in the upper and lower airways of horses, using endoscopic scoring methods and findings from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology.
Objective and Methods of the Study
- The primary aim of the research was to find out if a relationship exists between endoscopic scores reflecting inflammation and mucus scores in the upper and lower airways of horses.
- The researchers also sought to determine if endoscopic observation results would correlate with BAL cytology results, which provide detailed information on inflammation in the lower airways.
- The study was a prospective field research on 128 horses with varied levels of lung inflammation.
- Pharyngitis, pharyngeal mucus, tracheal mucus, tracheal septum thickness, and bronchial mucus were scored using both new and pre-existing scoring systems.
- Based on the cytology of the BAL fluid, the horses were divided into three categories – normal, moderate, and severe inflammation.
Study Findings
- There was robust interobserver agreement on all five endoscopy scores.
- The metrics for tracheal mucus, tracheal septum thickness, and bronchial mucus were significantly higher in horses with severe inflammation, as found through BAL.
- The three measurements showed a correlation with each other, but not with the scores for the upper airways.
- The percentage of neutrophils in the BAL fluid (indicators of inflammation) was positively correlated with tracheal mucus and bronchial mucus scores, but somewhat negatively correlated with the presence of pharyngitis, a disease affecting the upper airway.
Conclusions Drawn from the Study
- The research concludes that scores from lower airway endoscopy are reliable markers of inflammation in these areas. However, the same cannot be concluded for the upper airways.
- Therefore, detection of inflammation in the upper airways cannot be used as an indicator to test for lower airway inflammation. It means that the two sets of airways behave independently with respect to inflammation severity.
Cite This Article
APA
Koblinger K, Nicol J, McDonald K, Wasko A, Logie N, Weiss M, Léguillette R.
(2011).
Endoscopic assessment of airway inflammation in horses.
J Vet Intern Med, 25(5), 1118-1126.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2011.00788.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Moore Equine Veterinary Center, Calgary, AB, Canada.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bronchitis / diagnosis
- Bronchitis / pathology
- Bronchitis / veterinary
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / cytology
- Endoscopy / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Humans
- Inflammation / diagnosis
- Inflammation / pathology
- Inflammation / veterinary
- Male
- Mucus / cytology
- Pharyngitis / diagnosis
- Pharyngitis / pathology
- Pharyngitis / veterinary
- Pneumonia / diagnosis
- Pneumonia / pathology
- Pneumonia / veterinary
- Respiratory Tract Diseases / diagnosis
- Respiratory Tract Diseases / pathology
- Respiratory Tract Diseases / veterinary
- Trachea / pathology
- Tracheitis / diagnosis
- Tracheitis / pathology
- Tracheitis / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 19 times.- Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Conturba B, Stancari G, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. Medical causes of poor performance and their associations with fitness in Standardbred racehorses.. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Jul-Aug;37(4):1514-1527.
- Woodrow JS, Hines M, Sommardahl C, Flatland B, Lo Y, Wang Z, Sheats MK, Lennon EM. Initial investigation of molecular phenotypes of airway mast cells and cytokine profiles in equine asthma.. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:997139.
- Bond S, McMullen C, Timsit E, Léguillette R. Topography of the respiratory, oral, and guttural pouch bacterial and fungal microbiotas in horses.. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Jan;37(1):349-360.
- Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Conturba B, Stancari G, Ferrucci F. Impact of Lower Airway Inflammation on Fitness Parameters in Standardbred Racehorses.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Nov 21;12(22).
- Stucchi L, Lo Feudo CM, Stancari G, Conturba B, Ferrucci F. Effect of the Administration of a Nutraceutical Supplement in Racehorses with Lower Airway Inflammation.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Sep 19;12(18).
- Lo Feudo CM, Stancari G, Collavo F, Stucchi L, Conturba B, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. Upper and Lower Airways Evaluation and Its Relationship with Dynamic Upper Airway Obstruction in Racehorses.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Jun 17;12(12).
- Kozłowska N, Wierzbicka M, Jasiński T, Domino M. Advances in the Diagnosis of Equine Respiratory Diseases: A Review of Novel Imaging and Functional Techniques.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Feb 4;12(3).
- Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Alberti E, Stancari G, Conturba B, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. The Role of Thoracic Ultrasonography and Airway Endoscopy in the Diagnosis of Equine Asthma and Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage.. Vet Sci 2021 Nov 15;8(11).
- 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.
- 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.
- Stucchi L, Alberti E, Stancari G, Conturba B, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. The Relationship between Lung Inflammation and Aerobic Threshold in Standardbred Racehorses with Mild-Moderate Equine Asthma.. Animals (Basel) 2020 Jul 27;10(8).
- Bond SL, Greco-Otto P, MacLeod J, Galezowski A, Bayly W, Léguillette R. Efficacy of dexamethasone, salbutamol, and reduced respirable particulate concentration on aerobic capacity in horses with smoke-induced mild asthma.. J Vet Intern Med 2020 Mar;34(2):979-985.
- 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.
- Rossi H, Virtala AM, Raekallio M, Rahkonen E, Rajamäki MM, Mykkänen A. Comparison of Tracheal Wash and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Cytology in 154 Horses With and Without Respiratory Signs in a Referral Hospital Over 2009-2015.. Front Vet Sci 2018;5:61.
- Bullone M, Hélie P, Joubert P, Lavoie JP. Development of a Semiquantitative Histological Score for the Diagnosis of Heaves Using Endobronchial Biopsy Specimens in Horses.. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Sep;30(5):1739-1746.
- Léguillette R, Steinmann M, Bond SL, Stanton B. Tracheobronchoscopic Assessment of Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage and Airway Inflammation in Barrel Racing Horses.. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Jul;30(4):1327-32.
- Karagianni AE, Kapetanovic R, Summers KM, McGorum BC, Hume DA, Pirie RS. Comparative transcriptome analysis of equine alveolar macrophages.. Equine Vet J 2017 May;49(3):375-382.
- Couëtil LL, Cardwell JM, Gerber V, Lavoie JP, Léguillette R, Richard EA. Inflammatory Airway Disease of Horses--Revised Consensus Statement.. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Mar-Apr;30(2):503-15.
- Bullone M, Beauchamp G, Godbout M, Martin JG, Lavoie JP. Endobronchial Ultrasound Reliably Quantifies Airway Smooth Muscle Remodeling in an Equine Asthma Model.. PLoS One 2015;10(9):e0136284.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
