Insect bite hypersensitivity in the horse: comparison of IgE-binding proteins in salivary gland extracts from Simulium vittatum and Culicoides nubeculosus.
Abstract: Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an IgE-mediated allergic dermatitis of horses caused by bites of insects such as Culicoides or Simulium spp. The aim of the present study was to compare the IgE-binding pattern of sera of IBH-affected horses to Culicoides nubeculosus and Simulium vittatum salivary gland extracts (SGE). Individual IgE responses to proteins of S. vittatum and C. nubeculosus SGEs were evaluated in 15 IBH-affected and three healthy horses on immunoblots. Fourteen out of the 15 IBH-affected but none of the healthy horses showed individual IgE binding patterns to seven and six main protein bands in C. nubeculosus and S. vittatum SGE, respectively. These 14 sera showed IgE-binding to proteins from SGE of both C. nubeculosus and S. vittatum, but they reacted with fewer protein bands derived from S. vittatum than from C. nubeculosus SGE. Sera showing IgE-binding to a 32 kDa band from C. nubeculosus always bound to a 32 kDa band from S. vittatum. Similarly, all sera binding to a 70 kDa band from C. nubeculosus reacted with a corresponding band in S. vittatum SGE. The 70 kDa bands from S. vittatum and C. nubeculosus were identified by mass spectrometry as heat shock protein-70-cognate-3.
Publication Date: 2009-09-24 PubMed ID: 19836841DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2009.09.016Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research article investigates the allergic reaction of horses from the bites of the insects Culicoides nubeculosus and Simulium vittatum. The researchers specifically looked at how horse blood serum proteins responded to salivary gland extracts from these two insects.
Background and Purpose
- The study aims to understand Insect Bite Hypersensitivity (IBH), an allergic condition found in horses caused by insect bites, particularly by the Culicoides or Simulium species.
- The researchers focused on exploring the proteins in the horse’s immune system (IgE) and how they interact with the insect’s salivary gland extracts (SGE).
Methodology
- Salivary gland extracts (SGE) from Culicoides nubeculosus and Simulium vittatum were used to assess the horse’s IgE response.
- These IgE responses were tested on 15 horses affected by IBH and three healthy horses for comparison.
Findings
- To different degrees, 14 out of 15 horses with IBH showed an IgE response to proteins in both types of insect SGE. However, the responses were weaker with S. vittatum.
- None of the healthy horses showed any IgE reaction to the insect saliva proteins.
- There was a strong correlation between horses that showed an IgE response to a 32 kDa protein band in C. nubeculosus SGE, with them also showing a response to a 32 kDa band in S. vittatum SGE. A similar correlation was found with a 70 kDa band from both insects’ SGEs.
- The researchers identified these 70 kDa protein bands from both insects as heat shock protein-70-cognate-3 through mass spectrometry.
Conclusion
- This research provides valuable insights into how horses’ immune systems react to the bites of C. nubeculosus and S. vittatum, two common cause of insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH).
- The study demonstrates that horses with IBH have an IgE response to certain proteins in the insect’s saliva, which is not seen in healthy horses.
- Specific similarities in the IgE response to certain protein bands in both types of insects’ SGE were identified.
- This information could be beneficial in the development of future treatments for IBH in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Hellberg W, Mellor PS, Torsteinsdóttir S, Marti E.
(2009).
Insect bite hypersensitivity in the horse: comparison of IgE-binding proteins in salivary gland extracts from Simulium vittatum and Culicoides nubeculosus.
Vet Immunol Immunopathol, 132(1), 62-67.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetimm.2009.09.016 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Research-VPH, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland.
MeSH Terms
- Allergens / chemistry
- Allergens / immunology
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Ceratopogonidae / chemistry
- Ceratopogonidae / immunology
- HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / immunology
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Horses
- Hypersensitivity / immunology
- Hypersensitivity / metabolism
- Hypersensitivity / veterinary
- Immunoglobulin E / immunology
- Immunoglobulin E / metabolism
- Insect Bites and Stings / immunology
- Insect Bites and Stings / veterinary
- Insect Proteins / chemistry
- Insect Proteins / immunology
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Salivary Glands / chemistry
- Salivary Glands / immunology
- Sequence Alignment
- Simuliidae / chemistry
- Simuliidae / immunology
Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Söderroos D, Ignell R, Haubro Andersen P, Bergvall K, Riihimäki M. The Effect of Insect Bite Hypersensitivity on Movement Activity and Behaviour of the Horse. Animals (Basel) 2023 Apr 8;13(8).
- Willen L, Basáñez MG, Dvorak V, Veriegh FBD, Aboagye FT, Idun B, Osman ME, Osei-Atweneboana MY, Courtenay O, Volf P. Human immune response against salivary antigens of Simulium damnosum s.l.: A new epidemiological marker for exposure to blackfly bites in onchocerciasis endemic areas. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021 Jun;15(6):e0009512.
- François L, Hoskens H, Velie BD, Stinckens A, Tinel S, Lamberigts C, Peeters L, Savelkoul HFJ, Tijhaar E, Lindgren G, Janssens S, Ducro BJ, Buys N, Schurink AA. Genomic Regions Associated with IgE Levels against Culicoides spp. Antigens in Three Horse Breeds. Genes (Basel) 2019 Aug 8;10(8).
- Hempolchom C, Sookrung N, Srisuka W, Reamtong O, Sakolvaree Y, Chaicumpa W, Dedkhad W, Jariyapan N, Takaoka H, Saeung A. Characterization of IgE-binding proteins in the salivary glands of Simulium nigrogilvum (Diptera: Simuliidae). Parasitol Res 2019 Aug;118(8):2353-2359.
- Torsteinsdottir S, Scheidegger S, Baselgia S, Jonsdottir S, Svansson V, Björnsdottir S, Marti E. A prospective study on insect bite hypersensitivity in horses exported from Iceland into Switzerland. Acta Vet Scand 2018 Nov 3;60(1):69.
- Lomas HR, Robinson PA. A Pilot Qualitative Investigation of Stakeholders' Experiences and Opinions of Equine Insect Bite Hypersensitivity in England. Vet Sci 2018 Jan 9;5(1).
- Andersson LS, Swinburne JE, Meadows JR, Broström H, Eriksson S, Fikse WF, Frey R, Sundquist M, Tseng CT, Mikko S, Lindgren G. The same ELA class II risk factors confer equine insect bite hypersensitivity in two distinct populations. Immunogenetics 2012 Mar;64(3):201-8.
- Aupalee K, Srisuka W, Limsopatham K, Sanit S, Takaoka H, Saeung A. Reliability of wing morphometrics for species identification of human-biting black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Thailand. Parasit Vectors 2024 Dec 18;17(1):508.
- Jebbawi F, Chemnitzer A, Dietrich M, Pantelyushin S, Lam J, Rhiner T, Keller G, Waldern N, Canonica F, Fettelschoss-Gabriel A. Cytokines and chemokines skin gene expression in correlation with immune cells in blood and severity in equine insect bite hypersensitivity. Front Immunol 2024;15:1414891.
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