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Home / Equine Research Bank / Vet Sci / Skin Barrier in Normal and Allergic Horses: What Do We Know?
Veterinary sciences2025; 12(2); doi: 10.3390/vetsci12020091

Skin Barrier in Normal and Allergic Horses: What Do We Know?

Abstract: Information on skin barrier in horses is limited. A study on the epidermal ultrastructure of normal and allergic horses documented disorganized amorphous intercellular lipids in the stratum corneum of allergic samples. These findings are similar to atopic canine and human skin. Currently, there is no published study comparing skin barrier function parameters between normal and allergic horses; thus, the functional implications of the ultrastructural changes are unknown. In normal horses, body location, gender, breed, and ambient conditions affect skin barrier parameters, such as Transepidermal Water Loss. Skin microbiome studies on normal horses have highlighted the importance of season and environmental conditions, since horses housed together share similar microbiomes. Skin dysbiosis and predominance of staphylococcus have been described in horses with pastern dermatitis. Transcriptomic studies of the epidermis of normal and allergic horses have found that lesional allergic skin has substantial transcriptomic differences when compared with healthy skin, namely downregulation of genes of tight junctions, keratins, and upregulation of serine proteases and IL-13. Keratinocytes harvested from horses with insect bite hypersensitivity show upregulation of IL-31 gene expression under stimulation. While more research is clearly needed, preliminary results seem to support skin barrier differences between normal and allergic horses.
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Publication Date: 2025-01-24 PubMed ID: 40005851PubMed Central: PMC11861044DOI: 10.3390/vetsci12020091Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 article focuses on the study of the skin barrier in normal and allergic horses, noting differences in epidermal structure, potential functional implications, and various factors influencing skin conditions. The authors also discuss the role of the microbiome and genetic differences in understanding equine skin health.

Skin Barrier Analysis

  • The research investigates the skin barrier in horses, particularly differentiating between normal and allergic horses.
  • The stratum corneum (the outermost layer of the skin) of allergic horses was found to have disorganized lipids, a finding similar to observations in atopic or allergic dogs and humans.
  • However, it is noted that there is currently no study that compares skin barrier function between normal and allergic horses, which means the functional implications of these ultrastructural changes are yet to be determined.

Influencing Factors

  • In normal horses, various factors such as body location, gender, breed, and ambient conditions were found to affect skin barrier parameters.
  • One such important parameter is Transepidermal Water Loss, a measure of the amount of water that passes from inside a body through the epidermis to the surrounding atmosphere via diffusion and evaporation processes.

Microbiome Studies

  • Studies on the skin microbiome of normal horses have underscored the significance of seasonal and environmental conditions.
  • It was found that horses living together typically share similar microbiomes.
  • Instances of skin dysbiosis (an imbalance in the microbial ecosystem of the skin) and a prevalence of the bacterial species staphylococcus were noted in horses suffering from pastern dermatitis, a common skin issue.

Genetic Studies

  • Gene studies on the epidermis of normal and allergic horses revealed substantial differences.
  • Allergic skin showed a downregulation (decrease in the number) of genes related to tight junctions (barrier formation) and keratins (key structural material in the outer layer of skin).
  • In contrast, upregulation (increase in the number) of genes coding for serine proteases (enzymes that cut peptide bonds in proteins) and IL-13 (a cytokine involved in immune responses) was observed.
  • The study also found that skin cells from horses with insect bite hypersensitivity showed increased expression of the IL-31 gene, which encodes a protein known to play a critical role in inflammation and itchiness, when stimulated.

Conclusion

  • The research concludes that while more studies are required, preliminary results indicate notable differences in skin barrier characteristics between normal and allergic horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Marsella R. (2025). Skin Barrier in Normal and Allergic Horses: What Do We Know? Vet Sci, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci12020091

Publication

Veterinary sciences
ISSN: 2306-7381
NlmUniqueID: 101680127
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 2

Researcher Affiliations

Marsella, Rosanna
  • Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The author declares no conflicts of interest.

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