Incidental isolation of Setaria equina microfilariae in preparations of equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
Abstract: In the course of a vaccine experiment on horses, microfilariae were observed in cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from eleven of fifteen study horses. The microfilariae were clearly viable as evidenced by their vigorous movements in the cultures, thus indicating that they had survived the Ficoll gradient purification and the cryopreservation method used for retaining the PBMCs. The microfilariae were identified as Setaria equina, which is a vector-borne filarial nematode that causes a relatively benign infection of equids in which the adult worms reside in the peritoneal cavity. Although it is not possible to definitely state where the infections were acquired, the horses originated from Saskatchewan, Canada and spent a relatively short period of time in the United States prior to blood sampling. Therefore, it is likely that the infections occurred in Canada. Interestingly, assays conducted to determine levels of cytokine mRNA transcripts in the isolated PBMCs seemed to be largely unaltered by the presence of the microfilariae in the cell cultures. These findings demonstrate that a standard method used to purify and cryopreserve PBMCs from blood can result in the unintended co-isolation of worms from microfilaremic animals. Furthermore, the presence of the microfilariae did not appear to alter significantly the results of our immunologic assays, suggesting either that the nematode antigens were not recognized or that immunological tolerance may have developed in these horses. Although notable effects on the assays were not observed in this study, it seems possible that microfilarial contamination could represent a confounding variable for experiments examining cellular immunity.
Publication Date: 2009-01-14 PubMed ID: 19203836DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2008.12.020Google 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
- 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 article is about how Setaria equina microfilariae were found among the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in horses during a vaccine experiment, even after the cells were cleansed and preserved, without affecting the readings of the immunologic assays.
Isolation and Survival of Setaria equina Microfilariae in PBMCs
- The researchers performed a vaccine study on horses, and during the experiment, they found microfilariae in the cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from 11 out of the 15 horses studied.
- The microfilariae were still active after the PBMCs underwent a process of purification and cryopreservation, suggesting the robustness and hardiness of these worms.
- Upon examination, the microfilariae were identified as Setaria equina, a type of nematode that usually infects equids (the horse family), but typically the infection is benign and the adult worms end up settling in the peritoneal cavity (the abdominal area).
Horse’s Origin and Infection Source
- The horses were originally from Saskatchewan, Canada, but had spent some time in the United States before the blood samples were taken.
- Due to the shorter stay in the U.S., the researchers speculated that the horses were likely infected with Setaria equina in Canada.
Setaria equina Microfilariae’s Impact on Immunological Assays
- The researchers conducted assays to determine the levels of cytokine mRNA (a type of genetic material that plays a key role in cellular immunity) in the isolated PBMCs, and found that the presence of the microfilariae did not significantly affect the readings.
- This could mean that the nematode antigens weren’t recognized by the body, or that the horses had developed immunological tolerance against them.
- Despite no observable impact on the assays in this study, the researchers proposed that microfilarial contamination could potentially be a source of experimental error when studying cellular immunity, thereby suggesting further investigation into this possibility.
Cite This Article
APA
Yeargan MR, Lyons ET, Kania SA, Patton S, Breathnach CC, Horohov DW, Howe DK.
(2009).
Incidental isolation of Setaria equina microfilariae in preparations of equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells.
Vet Parasitol, 161(1-2), 142-145.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2008.12.020 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Science, M.H. Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546-0099, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Horse Diseases / blood
- Horse Diseases / parasitology
- Horses
- Leukocytes, Mononuclear / parasitology
- Setaria Nematode / isolation & purification
- Setariasis / blood
- Setariasis / parasitology
Citations
This article has been cited 0 times.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
