Increased presence of T lymphocytes in central nervous system of EPM affected horses.

The research article presents a study about the increased presence of T lymphocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) of horses affected by Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), caused by an infection with Sarcocystis neurona. The study aims to understand better the immune response related to this disease affecting the CNS of the horses.

Study Background:

• Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a disease caused by a parasite called Sarcocystis neurona, affecting up to 1% of horses in their lifetime.
• The immune response to this disease throughout its pathogenesis is unclear.
• This study aims to provide insights into the immune response associated with EPM, specifically the role of T lymphocytes in disease progression.

Methodology:

• A total of seventeen horses afflicted with S. neurona, as detected by immunohistochemical staining, were included in the study.
• Fifteen of these horses were euthanized due to neurological dysfunction, and the remaining two due to fractures.
• Immunohistochemical staining for B and T lymphocytes was performed on spinal cord sections obtained from these horses

Findings:

• All of the seventeen horses exhibited histological changes consistent with S. neurona infection.
• Significantly more T cells were present in the spinal cord sections of S. neurona infected horses compared to the control group.

Limited Conclusions:

• Even though this study demonstrated increased T lymphocytes presence in the CNS of EPM affected horses, it did not uncover the underlying mechanism responsible for the increased recruitment of these cells to the site of infection.
• This is primarily because it was a small descriptive study, hence its findings need to be confirmed through more comprehensive research studies in the future.