Investigation of corneal autoantibodies in horses with immune mediated keratitis (IMMK).
Abstract: Immune mediated keratitis (IMMK) is primarily a non-ulcerative keratitis in horses causing intermittent ocular pain, eventually resulting in visual impairment. Affected horses typically respond to immunomodulatory treatment. However, the underlying cause of the disease remains enigmatic. The current study was undertaken to investigate the presence of autoantibodies in horses with immune mediated keratitis. Using 28 horses with IMMK and 27 healthy controls screening for serum autoantibodies against the corneal proteome using indirect immunofluorescence, one-dimensional (1DE) and two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) with subsequent western blot analysis was performed followed by mass spectrometric identification of bands or spots of interest. Indirect immunofluorescence did not reveal a difference in immune response towards corneal proteins between healthy horses and those with IMMK. Using western blot analysis some horses affected by IMMK (4/28) showed a single band (1D) or a single spot (2DE) (5/28) not detected in healthy controls. The corresponding spot was identified as maspin (SERPINB5), a protein responsible for the inhibition of corneal vascularisation, cell migration and cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix. Tests with a recombinant human protein commercially available did not verify blot findings, but the human protein may not be fully cross-reactive. Still, maspin might play a role in some cases of equine IMMK. Further research is needed to clarify the etiology of this disease.
Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Publication Date: 2017-04-11 PubMed ID: 28494929DOI: 10.1016/j.vetimm.2017.04.002Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The study investigates the existence of autoantibodies (antibodies that mistakenly attack the body’s own tissues) in horses suffering from immune mediated keratitis (IMMK), suggesting the protein maspin as a potential player, and implying the need for further research to confirm its role in this disease affecting horse’s eyes.
Background and Purpose
- The paper discusses immune mediated keratitis (IMMK), a primary non-ulcerative keratitis disease in horses that leads to sporadic bouts of eye pain and may eventually cause visual impairment. While immunomodulatory treatment typically helps, the root cause of the disease is still unknown. This research primarily looks into the presence of autoantibodies in horses suffering from IMMK.
Methodology
- The study comprises 28 horses with IMMK and 27 healthy control horses. To detect serum autoantibodies against the corneal proteome, methods such as indirect immunofluorescence, one-dimensional (1DE) and two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) and subsequent western blot analysis were used.
Results
- Indirect immunofluorescence did not display any notable difference in immune response towards corneal proteins between healthy horses and the ones with IMMK.
- Through western blot analysis, it was found that some horses inflicted by IMMK showed a single band or a single spot not found in the healthy control group.
- The identified spot was detected as maspin (SERPINB5), a protein playing a key role in inhibiting corneal vascularization, cell migration, and cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix.
- However, using a commercially available recombinant human protein did not confirm the blot findings. It was suggested that the human protein might not be fully cross-reactive with the horse protein. Nonetheless, maspin might carry some significance to certain cases of equine IMMK.
Conclusions and Future Work
- Although maspin protein might carry a role in some IMMK instances, the study concluded on an open note, asserting the requirement for additional research in order to elucidate the origin of this disease.
Cite This Article
APA
Braus BK, Miller I, Kummer S, Kleinwort KJH, Hirmer S, Hauck SM, McMullen RJ, Kerschbaumer M, Deeg CA.
(2017).
Investigation of corneal autoantibodies in horses with immune mediated keratitis (IMMK).
Vet Immunol Immunopathol, 187, 48-54.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetimm.2017.04.002 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department for Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria. Electronic address: barbarabraus@gmx.de.
- Institute for Medical Biochemistry, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
- VetCore Facility for Research, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
- Institute for Animal Physiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
- Institute for Animal Physiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany.
- Research Unit Protein Science, Helmholtz Zentrum München (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany.
- Pferdeklinik München-Riem, Munich, Germany; Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Auburn, AL, USA.
- Ennetseeklinik für Kleintiere AG, Huenenberg, Switzerland.
- Institute for Animal Physiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany; Institute for Experimental Ophthalmology, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Autoantibodies / immunology
- Autoimmune Diseases / immunology
- Autoimmune Diseases / pathology
- Autoimmune Diseases / veterinary
- Case-Control Studies
- Cornea / immunology
- Cornea / pathology
- Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses / immunology
- Keratitis / immunology
- Keratitis / pathology
- Keratitis / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 8 times.- Young KAS, Schnabel LV, Gilger BC. Cell and Gene Therapy in Equine Ocular Disease. Vet Ophthalmol 2026 Mar;29(2):e70151.
- Aeri A, Gorla M, Sharma GT. Veterinary Regenerative Medicine: The Evolving Role of Stem Cell-Based Therapies. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2025 Nov;21(8):2484-2510.
- Sharun K, Banu SA, Alifsha B, Abualigah L, Pawde AM, Dhama K, Pal A. Mesenchymal stem cell therapy in veterinary ophthalmology: clinical evidence and prospects. Vet Res Commun 2024 Dec;48(6):3517-3531.
- Preston JF, Mustikka MP, Priestnall SL, Dunkel B, Fischer MC. Clinical features and outcomes of horses presenting with presumed equine immune mediated keratitis to two veterinary hospitals in the United Kingdom and Finland: 94 cases (2009-2021). Equine Vet J 2025 May;57(3):598-610.
- Kim H, Jeong Y, Lee E, Seo K, Kang S. Treatment of immune-mediated keratitis (IMMK) in dogs with immunosuppressants observed with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). J Vet Sci 2023 Sep;24(5):e66.
- Padjasek M, Cisło-Sankowska A, Lis-Bartos A, Qasem B, Marycz K. PLDLA/TPU Matrix Enriched with Cyclosporine A as a Therapeutic Platform for Immune-Mediated Keratitis (IMMK) in Horses. Int J Mol Sci 2023 Mar 17;24(6).
- Su Y, Li G, Xu J, Zheng J, Jiao J, Zhang J, Gu X, Cai Z, Luo H, Li Z, Han S. Immune-related keratitis is a rare complication associated with nivolumab treatment in a patient with advanced colorectal cancer: A case report. Front Oncol 2022;12:1021713.
- Zhang W, Rho JH, Roehrl MW, Roehrl MH, Wang JY. A repertoire of 124 potential autoantigens for autoimmune kidney diseases identified by dermatan sulfate affinity enrichment of kidney tissue proteins. PLoS One 2019;14(6):e0219018.
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