Equine asthma: Integrative biologic relevance of a recently proposed nomenclature.
Abstract: The term "equine asthma" has been proposed as a unifying descriptor of inflammatory airway disease (IAD), recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), and summer pasture-associated obstructive airway disease. Whilst the term will increase comprehensibility for both the lay and scientific communities, its biologic relevance must be compared and contrasted to asthma in human medicine, recognizing the limited availability of peer-reviewed equine-derived data, which are largely restricted to clinical signs, measures of airway obstruction and inflammation and response to therapy. Such limitations constrain meaningful comparisons with human asthma phenotypes. Suggested minimum inclusion criteria supporting the term asthma, as well as similarities and differences between IAD, RAO, and multiple human asthma phenotypes are discussed. Furthermore, differences between phenotype and severity are described, and typical features for equine asthma subcategories are proposed. Based on shared features, we conclude that mild/moderate (IAD) and severe (RAO) equine asthma are biologically appropriate models for both allergic and non-allergic human asthma, with RAO (severe equine asthma) also being an appropriate model for late-onset asthma. With the development of new biologic treatments in humans and the application of more targeted therapeutic approaches in the horse, it would appear appropriate to further investigate the allergic (Th-2) and non-allergic (non-Th-2) phenotypes of equine asthma. Further research is required to more fully determine the potential clinical utility of phenotype classification.
© 2018 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Publication Date: 2018-10-07 PubMed ID: 30294851PubMed Central: PMC6271326DOI: 10.1111/jvim.15302Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The study presents an analysis of the term “equine asthma”, arguing for the biological importance of this term and its appropriateness as a model for human asthma, despite the current limitations of the available data on this condition in horses.
Overview and Objective of the Research
- The research focuses on analyzing the term ‘equine asthma,’ which is used to describe an array of respiratory diseases in horses including inflammatory airway disease (IAD), recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), and summer pasture-associated obstructive airway disease.
- The objective of the study is to assess the biological relevance of the term ‘equine asthma’ in human medicine, while acknowledging that the available literature on this condition in horses is somewhat limited in scope.
Preliminary Comparisons
- Due to constraints in available data, the study explores the extent to which equine asthma can be compared meaningfully with different forms of human asthma, taking into account their various phenotypes.
- It also proposes certain criteria that could be used in classifying a disease as equine asthma.
Distinctions and similarities
- The study goes further to discuss the differences and similarities between IAD, RAO and different human asthma phenotypes.
- By examining the differences between phenotype and severity, the researchers propose typical features that could be used in categorizing different forms of equine asthma.
Proposition for Equine Asthma as a Model
- The researchers conclude that both the mild/moderate (IAD) and severe (RAO) forms of equine asthma could serve as relevant biological models for studying both allergic and non-allergic human asthma.
- In particular, they suggest that RAO (severe equine asthma) would be a suitable model for studying late-onset asthma in humans.
Future Implications
- The development of new treatments for humans and more targeted therapeutic approaches in horses suggests the need for further investigation of the allergic (Th-2) and non-allergic (non-Th-2) phenotypes of equine asthma.
- The study also calls for further research to more definitively ascertain the potential clinical utility of such phenotype classifications.
Cite This Article
APA
Bond S, Léguillette R, Richard EA, Couetil L, Lavoie JP, Martin JG, Pirie RS.
(2018).
Equine asthma: Integrative biologic relevance of a recently proposed nomenclature.
J Vet Intern Med, 32(6), 2088-2098.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15302 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta.
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta.
- Equine Immunity & Inflammation, LABÉO Frank Duncombe, Caen, France.
- BIOTARGEN, Normandie Univ, UniCaen, Biotargen, France.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, St-Hyacinthe, Q.
- Meakins Christie Laboratories, McGill University Health Center Research Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Q.
- The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, Easter Bush Campus, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, United Kingdom.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Asthma / classification
- Asthma / diagnosis
- Asthma / pathology
- Asthma / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / classification
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Humans
- Phenotype
- Terminology as Topic
References
This article includes 118 references
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