Evaluation of serum cytokine levels in recurrent airway obstruction.
Abstract: Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) represents a serious health problem and is traditionally classified as an allergic disease, where contact with an antigen can induce clinical airway inflammation, bronchial hyper-responsiveness and reversible airway obstruction. Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of the Th2 response in the lungs of human patients with asthma and horses with heaves. These cells are involved in the production of cytokines which regulate the synthesis of immunoglobulins. 40 horses were evaluated: 30 horses with RAO and 10 healthy animals. The expression levels of interferon-alpha 1 (IFN-α1), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-1β, (IL-1β), IL-2, IL-4, IL-13 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were measured in the serum obtained from control and RAO-susceptible horses during crisis. In all the patients, serum cytokine levels were detected. Serum median IL-13 and IFN-γ levels were significantly higher in RAO-affected horses than in the healthy group (p < 0.001). The serum median IFN-α1, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, and TNF-α levels were similar in both groups. These results indicate a low variability of the levels of cytokines and a high frequency of their detection in serum samples from horses with RAO. Immune mechanisms involved in equine RAO are more complex than those defined by a simple Th1/Th2 dichotomy.
Publication Date: 2017-01-17 PubMed ID: 28092612DOI: 10.1515/pjvs-2016-0099Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research investigates how the levels of certain proteins involved in immune system responses, known as cytokines, differ in horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), a serious respiratory health issue. The study involved 40 horses – 30 with RAO and 10 healthy animals, and found that horses with RAO had significantly higher levels of interleukin-13 (IL-13) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) cytokines.
Research Context
- Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), is characterized by inflammation in the airways, excessive sensitivity, and reversible airway obstruction. It is typically classified as an allergic disease.
- RAO in horses is somewhat similar to asthma in humans, and it has been previously observed that certain immune cells known as Th2 are involved in both conditions.
- These Th2 cells produce cytokines, small proteins that play an essential role in cell signalling, and particularly help regulate immune response in the body.
Research Approach
- The researchers set out to investigate the levels of different cytokines in 40 horses, out of which 30 were suffering from RAO and 10 were healthy.
- Serum, a component of blood, was obtained from all the horses to measure the levels of seven different cytokines – interferon-alpha 1 (IFN-α1), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-2, IL-4, IL-13 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α).
Findings
- The results confirmed the presence of all seven cytokines in the serum of all the horses.
- They also revealed that horses suffering from RAO had significantly higher median levels of IL-13 and IFN-γ compared to healthy horses.
- However, the serum median levels of IFN-α1, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, and TNF-α were similar in both groups.
Implications
- The results indicate that immune mechanisms underlying RAO in horses are complex and not simply defined by a Th1/Th2 dichotomy, which is a simplistic model framing immune responses as either dominated by Th1 or Th2 cells.
- The observed low variability of cytokine levels and their high frequency of detection in serum samples from horses with RAO provides new avenues for understanding and potentially developing treatments for this condition.
Cite This Article
APA
Niedźwiedź A, Borowicz H, Kubiak K, Nicpoń J, Skrzypczak P, Jaworski Z, Cegielski M, Nicpoń J.
(2017).
Evaluation of serum cytokine levels in recurrent airway obstruction.
Pol J Vet Sci, 19(4), 785-791.
https://doi.org/10.1515/pjvs-2016-0099 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Airway Obstruction / metabolism
- Airway Obstruction / pathology
- Airway Obstruction / veterinary
- Animals
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / chemistry
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / cytology
- Cytokines / genetics
- Cytokines / metabolism
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Horse Diseases / metabolism
- Horses
- Male
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Slowikowska M, Bajzert J, Miller J, Stefaniak T, Niedzwiedz A. The Dynamics of Circulating Immune Complexes in Horses with Severe Equine Asthma. Animals (Basel) 2021 Apr 2;11(4).
- Sheats MK, Davis KU, Poole JA. Comparative Review of Asthma in Farmers and Horses. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 2019 Oct 10;19(11):50.
- Varegg MS, Kløverød KM, Austnes MK, Siwinska N, Słowikowska M, Zak A, Madej JA, Kandefer-Gola M, Ciaputa R, Nowak M, Niedzwiedz A. Fatal pulmonary hemorrhage in a horse during bronchoalveolar lavage - single case report. BMC Vet Res 2019 May 24;15(1):169.
- Tessier L, Côté O, Clark ME, Viel L, Diaz-Méndez A, Anders S, Bienzle D. Gene set enrichment analysis of the bronchial epithelium implicates contribution of cell cycle and tissue repair processes in equine asthma. Sci Rep 2018 Nov 6;8(1):16408.
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