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Pigment retinopathy in warmblood horses with equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy and equine motor neuron disease.
Abstract: A pigment retinopathy has been reported in adult horses with equine motor neuron disease (EMND) arising from chronic α-tocopherol (α-TP) deficiency. A pigment retinopathy has not been identified in horses with neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (NAD/EDM) that affects genetically susceptible young horses with α-TP deficiency. The objective of this report is to describe, for the first time, a pigment retinopathy in a family of α-TP-deficient Warmbloods (WB) with clinically apparent NAD/EDM or EMND. Unassigned: Twenty-five WB horses from one farm underwent complete neurologic and ophthalmic examinations and serum α-TP concentrations were assessed. Two of the most severely ataxic horses were euthanized and postmortem examinations performed. Results: Alpha-TP deficiency was widespread on this farm (22 of 25 horses). Eleven of 25 horses were clinically normal (age range 2-12 years), one had signs of EMND (6 years of age), 10 had signs of ataxia consistent with NAD/EDM (1-10 years), and two of these were postmortem confirmed concurrent NAD/EDM and EMND. A pigment retinopathy characterized by varying amounts of granular dark pigment in the tapetal retina was observed in four clinically apparent NAD/EDM horses (two postmortem confirmed concurrent NAD/EDM and EMND) and one horse with clinical signs of EMND. Conclusions: A pigment retinopathy can be present in young α-TP-deficient Warmblood horses with clinical signs of EMND as well as those with signs of NAD/EDM.
© 2016 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.
Publication Date: 2016-08-05 PubMed ID: 27491953PubMed Central: PMC5292316DOI: 10.1111/vop.12417Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
- Ataxia
- Clinical Examination
- Clinical Findings
- Clinical Pathology
- Clinical Signs
- Clinical Study
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Etiology
- Disease Management
- Disease Outbreaks
- Disease Prevention
- Disease Surveillance
- Disease Treatment
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Motor Neuron Disease
- Genetics
- Horse Breeds
- Horses
- Neurological Diseases
- Neurology
- Ophthalmology
- Pathophysiology
- Post Mortem
- Retina
- Veterinary Care
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
- Vitamin E
- Warmblood Horses
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research is mainly focused on the occurrence of a pigment retinopathy in horses with equine motor neuron disease (EMND) and neuroaxonal dystrophy/equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (NAD/EDM), which are conditions both linked to α-tocopherol (α-TP) deficiency. This is particularly relevant for Warmblood breed horses that have genetically predisposed susceptibilities.
Objective of the Research
The main aim of this study was to describe a pigment retinopathy, a condition not previously identified in horses with α-TP deficiency and subsequent NAD/EDM or EMND. This observation is primarily noted in a family of Warmblood horses. The research endeavored to bring to light new findings in the field of veterinary neuroscience and opthalmic health.
The Process
- Twenty-five Warmblood horses from a single farm were selected for the study.
- These horses underwent complete neurologic, as well as ophthalmic examinations. Serum α-TP concentrations in these horses were also evaluated.
- Two of the horses exhibiting the most significant ataxic symptoms were euthanized and postmortem examinations were conducted.
Findings
- The research found a prevalent α-TP deficiency among the horses in the tested farm with this showing up in 22 out of 25 horses.
- Out of the 25 horses, 11 horses did not display any clinical abnormalities, one showed signs of EMND, while 10 exhibited signs of ataxia, a condition related to NAD/EDM.
- It was established that two horses had both NAD/EDM and EMND, a finding that was post-mortem confirmed.
- Fundamentally, the research uncovered a pigment retinopathy in 5 horses. This was detected through the appearance of granular dark pigment in the tapetal retina of the horses’ eyes, which were either clinical manifestations of NAD/EDM. One horse surprisingly exhibited this as a sign of EMND.
Conclusion
The research concludes that a pigment retinopathy can be a symptom in young horses that display clinical signs of both EMND and NAD/EDM, and are deficient in α-TP. This emerging evidence is significantly relevant for the Warmblood breed, and warrants further investigation.
Cite This Article
APA
Finno CJ, Kaese HJ, Miller AD, Gianino G, Divers T, Valberg SJ.
(2016).
Pigment retinopathy in warmblood horses with equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy and equine motor neuron disease.
Vet Ophthalmol, 20(4), 304-309.
https://doi.org/10.1111/vop.12417 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
- Eye Care for Animals, Lees Summit, MO, 64064, USA.
- Section of Anatomic Pathology, Department of Biomedical Sciences Medicine, Cornell University College of Veterinary, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
- Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
- Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48895, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Brain Diseases / diagnosis
- Brain Diseases / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Male
- Motor Neuron Disease / diagnosis
- Motor Neuron Disease / pathology
- Motor Neuron Disease / veterinary
- Neurologic Examination / veterinary
- Pedigree
- Pigments, Biological
- Retinal Diseases / diagnosis
- Retinal Diseases / pathology
- Retinal Diseases / veterinary
- Vitamin E Deficiency / diagnosis
- Vitamin E Deficiency / pathology
- Vitamin E Deficiency / veterinary
- alpha-Tocopherol / blood
Grant Funding
- K01 OD015134 / NIH HHS
- L40 TR001136 / NCATS NIH HHS
References
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Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Tan Yi Shean L, Milne EM, Shaw DJ, Maxwell S, Del-Pozo J. Lipofuscin accumulates in ganglionic neurons in chronic equine dysautonomia. J Vet Diagn Invest 2024 Nov;36(6):864-869.
- Hales EN, Esparza C, Peng S, Dahlgren AR, Peterson JM, Miller AD, Finno CJ. Genome-Wide Association Study and Subsequent Exclusion of ATCAY as a Candidate Gene Involved in Equine Neuroaxonal Dystrophy Using Two Animal Models. Genes (Basel) 2020 Jan 10;11(1).
- Burns EN, Finno CJ. Equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy: prevalence, impact, and management. Vet Med (Auckl) 2018;9:63-67.
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