Pathological and Immunohistochemical Analyses of Naturally Occurring Equine Glanders Using an Anti-BpaB Antibody.

This study investigates the infection patterns and symptoms of the bacterium that causes Glanders in horses. The research, conducted in Mongolia, highlights the usefulness of an anti-BpaB antibody for identifying infected cell types in naturally infected horses.

Introduction

• Equine Glanders is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium, typically affecting horses.
• This study focuses on examining the histopathology, or the microscopic structure of diseased tissue, and immunohistochemical localization of the bacteria in horses naturally affected with Glanders.
• This implies that the researchers are focusing on the biological interactions and pathologies within the host organism on a tissue level.

Methods

• Four horses from Mongolia exhibiting symptoms typical of glanders, such as nasal discharge, and multiple cutaneous nodules in the hindlimbs and abdomen were observed for the presence of infection.
• Using different methods like the complement fixation test, Rose Bengal Agglutination, and mallein tests, the horses were confirmed to be infected.
• Following this, gross and histological examinations were conducted, focusing on the bacterial presence in their bodies, and the physical damages it caused.
• This involved observing the histopathology of equine glanders and comparing it with previous known cases.

Results

• Immunohistochemistry involving a monoclonal antibody to BpaB was used to locate the presence of the bacterial antigen.
• The bacteria were predominantly found in the cytoplasm of several types of cells, including neutrophils, macrophages, epithelioid cells, and multinucleated giant cells, mainly in the pyogranulomas and abscesses in target organs.
• The bacterial antigen was also discovered in some alveolar type II cells and bronchiolar epithelial cells.

Summary

• The research results imply that the anti-BpaB antibody, when used in immunohistochemistry, can be useful in identifying the presence of glanders bacteria in horses, by revealing the infected cell types.
• This adds to the current knowledge on the pathology of equine glanders, enabling improved diagnostic techniques for identifying this infection in horses.