Lack of detectable equine herpesviruses 1 and 2 in paraffin-embedded specimens of equine sarcoidosis.

The research aims to investigate the presence of equine herpesvirus 1 and 2 in horses suffering from sarcoidosis. Despite previously reported connections, this study found no evidence of either virus in the eight horses tested.

Objective and Method

• The main objective of the research was to explore the presence of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) and equine herpesvirus 2 (EHV-2) in horses afflicted with sarcoidosis, a multisystemic disease of unknown origin.
• The researchers utilized polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays to analyze the tissue specimens of eight horses diagnosed with sarcoidosis. PCR is a commonly used method to amplify a small sample of DNA for detailed study.
• The DNA under investigation was associated with EHV-1 and EHV-2, specifically the glycoprotein B gene of the viruses.
• The team also employed positive controls in their study, which were DNA samples obtained from viral cultures of naturally occurring respiratory infections caused by EHV-1 and EHV-2.

Results

• The result of the PCR analyses was negative for both EHV-1 and EHV-2 in all the eight sarcoidosis-affected horses.

Conclusion

• The inability to detect DNA from EHV-1 and EHV-2 in the skin samples of the horses offers no evidence to support these viruses as potential causes of equine sarcoidosis.
• However, the researchers concluded that this does not completely rule out EHV-1 or EHV-2 as contributors to some cases of sarcoidosis, emphasizing that the disease is likely to be multifactorial in nature, meaning it could be caused by more than one factor or condition.