Neuroborreliosis in a horse with common variable immunodeficiency.
Abstract: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a rare condition in adult horses characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia and increased susceptibility to parasitic and bacterial infections, including recurrent respiratory diseases, septicemia, and meningitis. Lyme disease is often included as a differential diagnosis in CVID horses with signs of meningitis; however, the Borrelia burgdorferi organism has not been demonstrated previously within central nervous system tissues of CVID horses with neurologic disease, to our knowledge. We report herein a case of neuroborreliosis in a CVID horse, confirmed by combined immunologic testing, histopathology, real-time PCR assay, fluorescent in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemical staining. Implications of these findings include heightened monitoring of CVID horses for Lyme disease in endemic areas and appropriate therapy in the case of neurologic disease.
Publication Date: 2019-01-19 PubMed ID: 30661472PubMed Central: PMC6838834DOI: 10.1177/1040638718824146Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research article is about a case study of a horse diagnosed with neuroborreliosis, a neurological condition linked with borrelia infection (the causative agent of Lyme disease), and common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), a rare condition that impairs the immune system, making the horse more susceptible to infections.
Introduction to CVID and Neuroborreliosis
- Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a rare condition found in adult horses. This disease is characterized by reduced levels of certain classes of immunoglobulins (antibodies) in the bloodstream, known as hypogammaglobulinemia. This deficit leads to an increased susceptibility to infections, particularly parasitic and bacterial infections.
- Neuroborreliosis is a condition associated with Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. This condition affects the nervous system and is often a differential diagnosis in CVID-affected horses that show signs of meningitis (inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord).
Case Presentation and Findings
- The researchers present a unique case of a horse simultaneously suffering from neuroborreliosis and CVID. The Borrelia burgdorferi organism, which causes Lyme disease, was for the first time, as per the researchers’ knowledge, demonstrated within the central nervous system tissue of a horse diagnosed with CVID exhibiting neurological disease.
- This diagnosis was confirmed through a combination of diagnostic tests, including immunologic testing, histopathology (the microscopic examination of bodily tissues), a real-time PCR assay (a highly sensitive method of DNA detection), fluorescent in situ hybridization (a method for detecting specific genetic mutations), and immunohistochemical staining.
Implications of Research
- The key conclusion from the research is the suggestion for heightened monitoring of CVID horses for Lyme disease in areas where the disease is rampant.
- The research also advises appropriate therapy for horses with CVID showing signs of neurological disease.
Cite This Article
APA
Pecoraro HL, Felippe MJB, Miller AD, Divers TJ, Simpson KW, Guyer KM, Duhamel GE.
(2019).
Neuroborreliosis in a horse with common variable immunodeficiency.
J Vet Diagn Invest, 31(2), 241-245.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1040638718824146 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology (Pecoraro, Miller, Duhamel), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
- Clinical Sciences (Felippe, Divers, Simpson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
- Town and Country Veterinary Service, Boonton, NJ (Guyer).
- Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology (Pecoraro, Miller, Duhamel), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
- Clinical Sciences (Felippe, Divers, Simpson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
- Town and Country Veterinary Service, Boonton, NJ (Guyer).
- Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology (Pecoraro, Miller, Duhamel), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
- Clinical Sciences (Felippe, Divers, Simpson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
- Town and Country Veterinary Service, Boonton, NJ (Guyer).
- Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology (Pecoraro, Miller, Duhamel), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
- Clinical Sciences (Felippe, Divers, Simpson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
- Town and Country Veterinary Service, Boonton, NJ (Guyer).
- Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology (Pecoraro, Miller, Duhamel), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
- Clinical Sciences (Felippe, Divers, Simpson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
- Town and Country Veterinary Service, Boonton, NJ (Guyer).
- Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology (Pecoraro, Miller, Duhamel), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
- Clinical Sciences (Felippe, Divers, Simpson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
- Town and Country Veterinary Service, Boonton, NJ (Guyer).
- Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Anatomic Pathology (Pecoraro, Miller, Duhamel), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
- Clinical Sciences (Felippe, Divers, Simpson), College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
- Town and Country Veterinary Service, Boonton, NJ (Guyer).
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Borrelia burgdorferi / isolation & purification
- Common Variable Immunodeficiency / diagnosis
- Common Variable Immunodeficiency / microbiology
- Common Variable Immunodeficiency / veterinary
- Diagnosis, Differential
- Female
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Lyme Neuroborreliosis / diagnosis
- Lyme Neuroborreliosis / microbiology
- Lyme Neuroborreliosis / veterinary
- United States
Conflict of Interest Statement
Declaration of conflicting interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to theresearch, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
References
This article includes 19 references
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Citations
This article has been cited 7 times.- Countrymann K, Ruby R, Miller AD. A retrospective study of 171 cases of equine meningoencephalomyelitis in the United States, 1996-2023. J Vet Diagn Invest 2026 Jan;38(1):100-111.
- Julia M, Felippe B. Equine common variable immunodeficiency: lessons from 100 clinical cases. Equine Vet Educ 2024 Oct;36(10):543-554.
- Mullen KR, Felippe MJB. The Horse with Recurrent Fevers and Infections: Approach to Common Variable Immunodeficiency. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2024 Aug;40(2):179-188.
- Athanasiou LV, Katsogiannou EG, Tyrnenopoulou P, Gougoulis D, Apostolidis KN, Papadakis SM, Kokkinaki KCG, Papatsiros VG, Tsokana CN. Evidence of Horse Exposure to Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi, and Leishmania infantum in Greece through the Detection of IgG Antibodies in Serum and in an Alternative Diagnostic Sample-The Saliva. Biomolecules 2023 Sep 11;13(9).
- Divers TJ, Mongodin EF, Miller CB, Belgrave RL, Gardner RB, Fraser CM, Schutzer SE. Genomic hybrid capture assay to detect Borrelia burgdorferi: an application to diagnose neuroborreliosis in horses. J Vet Diagn Invest 2022 Sep;34(5):909-912.
- Guarino C, Pinn-Woodcock T, Levine DG, Miller J, Johnson AL. Case Report: Nuchal Bursitis Associated With Borrelia burgdorferi Infection in a Horse. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:743067.
- Springer A, Glass A, Topp AK, Strube C. Zoonotic Tick-Borne Pathogens in Temperate and Cold Regions of Europe-A Review on the Prevalence in Domestic Animals. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:604910.
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