FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / J Vet Intern Med / Redox Biomarker Variations With Severity of Asthma in Horse...
Journal of veterinary internal medicine2025; 39(2); e70031; doi: 10.1111/jvim.70031

Redox Biomarker Variations With Severity of Asthma in Horses Across Different Sample Types.

Abstract: The contribution of redox imbalance to equine asthma (EA) pathogenesis remains unclear. Objective: (1) validate and measure a panel of redox biomarkers in the tracheal wash (TW) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples from horses with neutrophilic and mastocytic mild-moderate EA (MEA) and severe EA. (2) Evaluate the same panel in saliva and serum for comparative purposes. Methods: A total of 117 horses: 37 healthy, 26 mastocytic MEA, 29 neutrophilic MEA, and 25 severe EA. Methods: Cross-sectional study using TW, BAL, and serum and saliva sampling. After assay validation, redox biomarkers-ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), glutathione reductase (GSHred), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) were quantified. Results: Assays demonstrated low imprecision, good linearity, and adequate sensitivity in TW and BAL fluid. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid biomarkers decreased with EA severity for TEAC (healthy horses: median, 0.013; severe EA horses: 0.010; p < 0.001; effect size [ES] = 0.36), SOD (healthy horses: median, 0.95; severe EA horses: 0.70; p < 0.001; ES = 0.39), and AOPP (healthy horses: median, 44.9; severe EA horses: 20; p = 0.05; ES = 0.18). Bronchoalveolar lavage neutrophil differential counts were negatively correlated with saliva SOD (rho = -52; p = 0.001), GSHred (rho = - 0.46; p = 0.01) and AOPP (rho = - 0.34; p = 0.04). Conclusions: These findings support the potential of redox biomarkers measured in BAL fluid in the characterization of neutrophilic EA and emphasize their value in guiding antioxidant-based therapeutic strategies. Based on our results, redox imbalance is less evident in mastocytic EA compared with neutrophilic EA.
© 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2025-03-04 PubMed ID: 40035177PubMed Central: PMC11876999DOI: 10.1111/jvim.70031Google 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.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

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.

This research examines the connection between redox imbalance and equine asthma, measuring various biomarkers in the biological samples from horses of varying health statuses. The findings suggest a potential role for these biomarkers in understanding and treating types of equine asthma through antioxidant-focused therapies.

Objective and Methods

  • The main aim of the study was to access and quantify a set of redox biomarkers in horses with different severity levels of equine asthma, using tracheal wash and bronchoalveolar lavage samples. Additional goals were to compare these results with those obtained from saliva and serum samples. The investigation involved 117 horses comprising healthy specimens and those with varying severity of mastocytic and neutrophilic mild-moderate and severe equine asthma.
  • This cross-sectional study utilised a variety of biological samples – tracheal wash, bronchoalveolar lavage, and blood serum, as well as saliva. The selected redox biomarkers were Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC), glutathione reductase (GSHred), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP).

Results

  • The assays demonstrated low imprecision, good linearity, and adequate performance in tracheal wash and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The levels of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid biomarkers decreased with the severity of equine asthma related to TEAC, SOD, and AOPP measurements, meaning that there was a higher count in healthy horses compared to those with severe equine asthma.
  • Moreover, bronchoalveolar lavage neutrophil differential counts correlated negatively with saliva SOD, GSHred, and AOPP. In simpler words, the higher the neutrophil count (a type of white blood cell), the lower these biomarkers were in the saliva.

Conclusion

  • The researchers concluded that the redox biomarkers measured in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid may be useful in characterizing neutrophilic equine asthma. The study findings endorse the use of these biomarkers in directing antioxidant-based therapeutic strategies for horse asthma.
  • Focusing on the different types of equine asthma, the researchers found redox imbalance to be less evident in mastocytic equine asthma as compared to neutrophilic equine asthma.

Cite This Article

APA
Hansen S, Otten ND, Ceron JJ, González-Arostegui LG, Peres-Rubio C. (2025). Redox Biomarker Variations With Severity of Asthma in Horses Across Different Sample Types. J Vet Intern Med, 39(2), e70031. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.70031

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 39
Issue: 2
Pages: e70031
PII: e70031

Researcher Affiliations

Hansen, Sanni
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, København, Denmark.
Otten, Nina D
  • Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
Ceron, Jose Joaquin
  • Interlab-UMU, Regional Campus of International Excellence Mare Nostrum, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
González-Arostegui, Luis Guillermo
  • Interlab-UMU, Regional Campus of International Excellence Mare Nostrum, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
Peres-Rubio, Camila
  • Interlab-UMU, Regional Campus of International Excellence Mare Nostrum, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Horse Diseases / metabolism
  • Horse Diseases / blood
  • Asthma / veterinary
  • Asthma / metabolism
  • Biomarkers
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / chemistry
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / cytology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Male
  • Female
  • Saliva / chemistry
  • Superoxide Dismutase / metabolism
  • Neutrophils / metabolism
  • Antioxidants / metabolism
  • Antioxidants / analysis
  • Advanced Oxidation Protein Products / blood
  • Advanced Oxidation Protein Products / analysis
  • Trachea / metabolism
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Glutathione Reductase / metabolism

Grant Funding

  • Horse Levy Foundation

Conflict of Interest Statement

Authors declare no off‐label use of antimicrobials. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

This article includes 56 references
  1. Allen KJ, Tremaine WH, Franklin SH. Prevalence of Inflammatory Airway Disease in National Hunt Horses Referred for Investigation of Poor Athletic Performance. Equine Veterinary Journal 38, no. S36 (2006): 529–534.
    doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2006.tb05599.xpubmed: 17402478google scholar: lookup
  2. Couetil LL, Cardwell JM, Gerber V. Inflammatory Airway Disease of Horses‐Revised Consensus Statement. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 30 (2016): 503–515.
    pmc: PMC4913592pubmed: 26806374
  3. Fairbairn SM, Page CP, Lees P. Early Neutrophil but Not Eosinophil or Platelet Recruitment to the Lungs of Allergic Horses Following Antigen Exposure. Clinical and Experimental Allergy 23 (1993): 821–828.
    pubmed: 10780888
  4. Paone G, Conti V, Vestri A. Analysis of Sputum Markers in the Evaluation of Lung Inflammation and Functional Impairment in Symptomatic Smokers and COPD Patients. Disease Markers 31 (2011): 91–100.
    pmc: PMC3826390pubmed: 21897003
  5. Al‐Afaleg NO, Al‐Senaidy A, El‐Ansary A. Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Status in Saudi Asthmatic Patients. Clinical Biochemistry 44 (2011): 612–617.
    pubmed: 21320478
  6. Kirkham P, Rahman I. Oxidative Stress in Asthma and COPD: Antioxidants as a Therapeutic Strategy. Pharmacology & Therapeutics 111 (2006): 476–494.
    pubmed: 16458359
  7. Fatani SH. Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Acute and Chronic Bronchial Asthma. Journal of Asthma 51 (2014): 578–584.
    pubmed: 24593289
  8. Reuter S, Gupta SC, Chaturvedi MM. Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Cancer: How Are They Linked?. Free Radical Biology & Medicine 49 (2010): 1603–1616.
    pmc: PMC2990475pubmed: 20840865
  9. Nadeem A, Siddiqui N, Alharbi NO, Alharbi MM. Airway and Systemic Oxidant‐Antioxidant Dysregulation in Asthma: A Possible Scenario of Oxidants Spill Over From Lung Into Blood. Pulmonary Pharmacology & Therapeutics 29 (2014): 31–40.
    pubmed: 24929073
  10. Jochmans‐Lemoine A, Picotte K, Beauchamp G, Vargas A, Lavoie JP. Effects of a Propriety Oiled Mixed Hay Feeding System on Lung Function, Neutrophilic Airway Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Severe Asthmatic Horses. Equine Veterinary Journal 52 (2020): 564–571.
    pubmed: 31802526
  11. Tan RHHB, Thatcher CDD, Buechner‐Maxwell VD. Measurement of Ascorbic Acid Concentration and Glutathione Peroxidase Activity in Biological Samples Collected From Horses With Recurrent Airway Obstruction. AVMA 71 (2010): 1500–1507.
    pubmed: 21118003
  12. Kramaric P, Pavlica Z, Koklic T. Membrane Switch Hypothesis. 2. Domain Structure of Phagocytes in Horses With Recurrent Airway Obstruction. Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling 45 (2005): 1708–1715.
    pubmed: 16309277
  13. Kirschvink N, Smith N, Fievez L. Effect of Chronic Airway Inflammation and Exercise on Pulmonary and Systemic Antioxidant Status of Healthy and Heaves‐Affected Horses. Equine Veterinary Journal 34 (2002): 563–571.
    pubmed: 12357995
  14. Kirschvink N, Art T, de Moffarts B. Relationship Between Markers of Blood Oxidant Status and Physiological Variables in Healthy and Heaves‐Affected Horses After Exercise. Equine Veterinary Journal. Supplement 34 (2002): 159–164.
    pubmed: 12405678
  15. Deaton CM, Marlin DJ, Deaton L. Comparison of the Antioxidant Status in Tracheal and Bronchoalveolar Epithelial Lining Fluids in Recurrent Airway Obstruction. Equine Veterinary Journal 38 (2006): 417–422.
    pubmed: 16986601
  16. Leguillette R, Tohver T, Bond SL. Effect of Dexamethasone and Fluticasone on Airway Hyperresponsiveness in Horses With Inflammatory Airway Disease. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 31 (2017): 1193–1201.
    pmc: PMC5508307pubmed: 28568169
  17. Giguere S, Viel L, Lee E. Cytokine Induction in Pulmonary Airways of Horses With Heaves and Effect of Therapy With Inhaled Fluticasone Propionate. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 85 (2002): 147–158.
    pubmed: 11943316
  18. Robinson NE, Jackson C, Jefcoat A. Efficacy of Three Corticosteroids for the Treatment of Heaves. Equine Veterinary Journal 34 (2002): 17–22.
    pubmed: 11817547
  19. Gerber V, Straub R, Marti E. Endoscopic Scoring of Mucus Quantity and Quality: Observer and Horse Variance and Relationship to Inflammation, Mucus Viscoelasticity and Volume. Equine Veterinary Journal 36 (2004): 576–582.
    pubmed: 15581321
  20. Koblinger K, Nicol J, McDonald K. Endoscopic Assessment of Airway Inflammation in Horses. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 25 (2011): 1118–1126.
    pubmed: 21985142
  21. Fernandez NJ, Hecker KG, Gilroy CV. Reliability of 400‐Cell and 5‐Field Leukocyte Differential Counts for Equine Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid. Veterinary Clinical Pathology 42 (2013): 92–98.
    pubmed: 23289790
  22. Benzie IF, Strain JJ. The Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma (FRAP) as a Measure of Antioxidant Power: The FRAP Assay. Analytical Biochemistry 239 (1996): 70–76.
    pubmed: 8660627
  23. Arnao MB, Cano A, Hernandez‐Ruiz J. Inhibition by L‐Ascorbic Acid and Other Antioxidants of the 2.2′‐Azino‐Bis(3‐Ethylbenzthiazoline‐6‐Sulfonic Acid) Oxidation Catalyzed by Peroxidase: A New Approach for Determining Total Antioxidant Status of Foods. Analytical Biochemistry 236 (1996): 255–261.
    pubmed: 8660502
  24. Witko‐Sarsat V, Friedlander M, Capeillere‐Blandin C. Advanced Oxidation Protein Products as a Novel Marker of Oxidative Stress in Uremia. Kidney International 49 (1996): 1304–1313.
    pubmed: 8731095
  25. Contreras‐Aguilar MD, Rubio CP, Gonzalez‐Arostegui LG. Changes in Oxidative Status Biomarkers in Saliva and Serum in the Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome and Colic of Intestinal Aetiology: A Pilot Study. Animals (Basel) 12 (2022): 12.
    pmc: PMC8909870pubmed: 35268236
  26. Campos C, Guzman R, Lopez‐Fernandez E, Casado A. Evaluation of the Copper(II) Reduction Assay Using Bathocuproinedisulfonic Acid Disodium Salt for the Total Antioxidant Capacity Assessment: The CUPRAC‐BCS Assay. Analytical Biochemistry 392 (2009): 37–44.
    pubmed: 19464250
  27. Jocelyn PC. Spectrophotometric Assay of Thiols. Methods in Enzymology 143 (1987): 44–67.
    pubmed: 3657559
  28. Mesquita CS, Oliveira R, Bento F, Geraldo D, Rodrigues JV, Marcos JC. Simplified 2,4‐Dinitrophenylhydrazine Spectrophotometric Assay for Quantification of Carbonyls in Oxidized Proteins. Analytical Biochemistry 458 (2014): 69–71.
    pubmed: 24814294
  29. Erel O. A New Automated Colorimetric Method for Measuring Total Oxidant Status. Clinical Biochemistry 38 (2005): 1103–1111.
    pubmed: 16214125
  30. Tatzber F, Griebenow S, Wonisch W, Winkler R. Dual Method for the Determination of Peroxidase Activity and Total Peroxides‐Iodide Leads to a Significant Increase of Peroxidase Activity in Human Sera. Analytical Biochemistry 316 (2003): 147–153.
    pubmed: 12711334
  31. Alberti A, LBDM. The Radical Cation of N,N‐Diethyl‐Para‐Phenylendiamine: A Possible Indicator of Oxidative Stress in Biological Samples. Research on Chemical Intermediates 26 (1999): 253–267.
  32. . R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing (2016). .
  33. Rubio CP, Hernandez‐Ruiz J, Martinez‐Subiela S. Spectrophotometric Assays for Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) in Dog Serum: An Update. BMC Veterinary Research 12 (2016): 166.
    pmc: PMC4986369pubmed: 27526688
  34. Rahman I, Morrison D, Donaldson K, MacNee W. Systemic Oxidative Stress in Asthma, COPD, and Smokers. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 154 (1996): 1055–1060.
    pubmed: 8887607
  35. Yadav AS, Saini M. Evaluation of Systemic Antioxidant Level and Oxidative Stress in Relation to Lifestyle and Disease Progression in Asthmatic Patients. Journal Of Medical Biochemistry 35 (2016): 55–62.
    pmc: PMC5346802pubmed: 28356865
  36. Nadeem A, Raj HG, Chhabra SK. Increased Oxidative Stress in Acute Exacerbations of Asthma. Journal of Asthma 42 (2005): 45–50.
    pubmed: 15801328
  37. Pourmohammad R, Mohri M, Seifi HA, Sardari K. Evaluation of Cardiac Troponin I, Atrial Natriuretic Peptide and Some Oxidative/Antioxidative Biomarkers in the Serum and Hemolysate of Trained Arabian Horses After Exercise. Iran J Vet Res 21 (2020): 211–215.
    pmc: PMC7608043pubmed: 33178299
  38. Couto N, Wood J, Barber J. The Role of Glutathione Reductase and Related Enzymes on Cellular Redox Homoeostasis Network. Free Radical Biology & Medicine 95 (2016): 27–42.
    pubmed: 26923386
  39. Fitzpatrick AM, Teague WG, Holguin F. Airway Glutathione Homeostasis Is Altered in Children With Severe Asthma: Evidence for Oxidant Stress. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 123 (2009): 146–152.
    pmc: PMC2649685pubmed: 19130935
  40. Deaton CM, Marlin DJ, Smith NC. Effect of Acute Airway Inflammation on the Pulmonary Antioxidant Status. Experimental Lung Research 31 (2005): 653–670.
    pubmed: 16203621
  41. Art T, Kirschvink N, Smith N. Indices of Oxidative Stress in Blood and Pulmonary Epithelium Lining Fluid in Horses Suffering From Recurrent Airway Obstruction. Equine Veterinary Journal 31 (1999): 397–401.
    pubmed: 10505955
  42. Deaton CM, Marlin DJ, Smith NC. Antioxidant and Inflammatory Responses of Healthy Horses and Horses Affected by Recurrent Airway Obstruction to Inhaled Ozone. Equine Veterinary Journal 37 (2005): 243–249.
    pubmed: 15892234
  43. Deaton CM, Marlin DJ, Smith NC. Breath Condensate Hydrogen Peroxide Correlates With Both Airway Cytology and Epithelial Lining Fluid Ascorbic Acid Concentration in the Horse. Free Radical Research 38 (2004): 201–208.
    pubmed: 15104214
  44. Silvestrini A, Meucci E, Ricerca BM, Mancini A. Total Antioxidant Capacity: Biochemical Aspects and Clinical Significance. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 24 (2023): 10978.
    pmc: PMC10341416pubmed: 37446156
  45. Smith LJ, Shamsuddin M, Sporn PH. Reduced Superoxide Dismutase in Lung Cells of Patients With Asthma. Free Radical Biology & Medicine 22 (1997): 1301–1307.
    pubmed: 9098106
  46. Comhair SA, Erzurum SC. Redox Control of Asthma: Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities. Antioxidants & Redox Signaling 12 (2010): 93–124.
    pmc: PMC2824520pubmed: 19634987
  47. Kawami M, Shimonakamura T, Yumoto R, Takano M. Transport of AOPP‐Albumin Into Human Alveolar Epithelial A549 Cell. Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences 21 (2018): 247–255.
    pubmed: 29975628
  48. Hughes KJ, Malikides N, Hodgson DR. Comparison of Tracheal Aspirates and Bronchoalveolar Lavage in Racehorses. 1. Evaluation of Cytological Stains and the Percentage of Mast Cells and Eosinophils. Australian Veterinary Journal 81 (2003): 681–684.
    pubmed: 15086109
  49. Derksen FJ, Brown CM, Sonea I. Comparison of Transtracheal Aspirate and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Cytology in 50 Horses With Chronic Lung Disease. Equine Veterinary Journal 21 (1989): 23–26.
    pubmed: 2920696
  50. Po E, Williams C, Muscatello G, Celi P. Assessment of Oxidative Stress Biomarkers in Exhaled Breath Condensate and Blood of Thoroughbred Foals. Veterinary Journal 196 (2013): 269–271.
    pubmed: 23036175
  51. Ammar M, Bahloul N, Amri O. Oxidative Stress in Patients With Asthma and Its Relation to Uncontrolled Asthma. Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis 36 (2022): e24345.
    pmc: PMC9102642pubmed: 35318723
  52. Ben Anes A, Ben Nasr H, Fetoui H. Alteration in Systemic Markers of Oxidative and Antioxidative Status in Tunisian Patients With Asthma: Relationships With Clinical Severity and Airflow Limitation. Journal of Asthma 53 (2016): 227–237.
    pubmed: 26516659
  53. Burcakova L, Konigova A, Kuzmina TA. Equine Tapeworm (Anoplocephala Spp.) Infection: Evaluation of Saliva‐ and Serum‐Based Antibody Detection Methods and Risk Factor Analysis in Slovak Horse Populations. Parasitology Research 122 (2023): 3037–3052.
    pmc: PMC10667452pubmed: 37803152
  54. Barnabe MA, Elliott J, Harris PA. Insulin, but Not Adiponectin, Is Detectable in Equine Saliva Using an Automated, Commercial Assay. Equine Veterinary Journal 56 (2024): 361–367.
    pubmed: 37872702
  55. Sharif‐Askari FS, Sharif‐Askari NS, Goel S. Upregulation of Interleukin‐19 in Severe Asthma: A Potential Saliva Biomarker for Asthma Severity. ERJ Open Res 7 (2021).
    pmc: PMC8311130pubmed: 34322544
  56. Abboud MM, Al‐Rawashde FA, Al‐Zayadneh EM. Alterations of Serum and Saliva Oxidative Markers in Patients With Bronchial Asthma. Journal of Asthma 59 (2022): 2154–2161.
    pubmed: 34855555

Citations

This article has been cited 0 times.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,383 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.