Studies on pulmonary and systemic Aspergillus fumigatus-specific IgE and IgG antibodies in horses affected with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Journal Article
Summary
This research investigates how exposure to a specific allergen, Aspergillus fumigatus, affects the lungs of horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The study found that horses with COPD had higher levels of immunoglobulins E and G in their lung fluid in response to this allergen, suggesting a significant immune response.
Investigation Into Allergens Impact on Horses with COPD
The study centers on horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition affecting the pulmonary system. The researchers aimed to learn more about the effect of a specific allergen, Aspergillus fumigatus, on these horses.
- The allergen comes from the common fungus Aspergillus fumigatus. This fungus frequently causes severe lung diseases in humans and animals.
- The immune response to this allergen was assessed by measuring levels of specific types of antibodies, namely immunoglobulin E (IgE) and immunoglobulin G (IgG), in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and in the blood serum.
{{Role of Specific Allergens in the Immune Response}}
The immune system reacts to allergens or antigens by producing specific antibodies to fight them. Outcomes from the study revealed:
- Horses with COPD had higher levels of IgE and IgG antibodies in their BALF when exposed to Aspergillus fumigatus antigens and a specific allergen (Asp. f. 1/a) in comparison with healthy, control horses.
- However, the presence of these same allergens did not trigger a significant increase in antibodies in the blood serum of affected horses compared to controls.
- There was no correlation between antigen-specific antibody levels in BALF and blood serum, suggesting that the immune response is not uniformly distributed between the two.
Identification of Specific Allergens
Further examination of the Aspergillus fumigatus and the horses’ immunological response revealed:
- Both IgE and IgG antibodies recognized specific protein bands in the Aspergillus fungus. This indicates that these antibodies are responding to these particular components of the allergen.
- All horses responded to 93, 35, 31, and 23 kDa allergens with specific IgE and IgG in their BALF. This suggests these allergens could affect the lung’s immune response.
- These allergens could potentially serve as markers for diagnosing Aspergillus fumigatus-related exacerbations in horses with COPD.
This study could enhance understanding of the impact of specific allergens on the immune response in horses with COPD. Further research might develop interventions to manage or decrease the exacerbation of COPD in horses due to these allergens.
Cite This Article
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, UK.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Aspergillosis / immunology
- Aspergillosis / veterinary
- Aspergillus fumigatus / immunology
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Horses / immunology
- Immunoglobulin E / immunology
- Immunoglobulin G / immunology
- Lung Diseases, Fungal / immunology
- Lung Diseases, Fungal / veterinary
- Lung Diseases, Obstructive / immunology
- Lung Diseases, Obstructive / microbiology
- Lung Diseases, Obstructive / veterinary
- Male
Citations
This article has been cited 25 times.- Wyler M, Sage SE, Marti E, White S, Gerber V. Protein microarray allergen profiling in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and serum of horses with asthma. J Vet Intern Med 2023 Jan;37(1):328-337.
- Klier J, Fuchs S, Winter G, Gehlen H. Inhalative Nanoparticulate CpG Immunotherapy in Severe Equine Asthma: An Innovative Therapeutic Concept and Potential Animal Model for Human Asthma Treatment. Animals (Basel) 2022 Aug 16;12(16).
- Basano I, Romolo A, Iamone G, Memoli G, Riccio B, Lavoie JP, Miniscalco B, Bullone M. Giant Multinucleated Cells Are Associated with Mastocytic Inflammatory Signature Equine Asthma. Animals (Basel) 2022 Apr 20;12(9).
- Di Pietro R, Dubuc V, Manguin E, Giroux-Lafond R, Bédard C, Boivin R, Lavoie JP, Vesper SJ, Leclere M. Characterization of fungal exposure and dectin-1 expression in healthy horses and horses with severe asthma. Am J Vet Res 2022 May 8;83(6).
- Martins LML. Allergy to Fungi in Veterinary Medicine: Alternaria, Dermatophytes and Malassezia Pay the Bill!. J Fungi (Basel) 2022 Feb 27;8(3).
- Simões J, Batista M, Tilley P. The Immune Mechanisms of Severe Equine Asthma-Current Understanding and What Is Missing. Animals (Basel) 2022 Mar 16;12(6).
- Lo Feudo CM, Stucchi L, Alberti E, Conturba B, Zucca E, Ferrucci F. Intradermal Testing Results in Horses Affected by Mild-Moderate and Severe Equine Asthma. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jul 13;11(7).
- White SJ, Moore-Colyer M, Marti E, Hannant D, Gerber V, Coüetil L, Richard EA, Alcocer M. Antigen array for serological diagnosis and novel allergen identification in severe equine asthma. Sci Rep 2019 Oct 23;9(1):15170.
- White S, Moore-Colyer M, Marti E, Coüetil L, Hannant D, Richard EA, Alcocer M. Development of a comprehensive protein microarray for immunoglobulin E profiling in horses with severe asthma. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Sep;33(5):2327-2335.
- Verdon M, Lanz S, Rhyner C, Gerber V, Marti E. Allergen-specific immunoglobulin E in sera of horses affected with insect bite hypersensitivity, severe equine asthma or both conditions. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Jan;33(1):266-274.
- Bond S, Léguillette R, Richard EA, Couetil L, Lavoie JP, Martin JG, Pirie RS. Equine asthma: Integrative biologic relevance of a recently proposed nomenclature. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Nov;32(6):2088-2098.
- Klier J, Geis S, Steuer J, Geh K, Reese S, Fuchs S, Mueller RS, Winter G, Gehlen H. A comparison of nanoparticullate CpG immunotherapy with and without allergens in spontaneously equine asthma-affected horses, an animal model. Immun Inflamm Dis 2018 Mar;6(1):81-96.
- Mueller RS, Janda J, Jensen-Jarolim E, Rhyner C, Marti E. Allergens in veterinary medicine. Allergy 2016 Jan;71(1):27-35.
- Sarmiento J, Perez B, Morales N, Henriquez C, Vidal L, Folch H, Galecio JS, Morán G. Apoptotic effects of tamoxifen on leukocytes from horse peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Vet Res Commun 2013 Dec;37(4):333-8.
- Moran G, Folch H, Henriquez C, Ortloff A, Barria M. Reaginic antibodies from horses with recurrent airway obstruction produce mast cell stimulation. Vet Res Commun 2012 Dec;36(4):251-8.
- Moran G, Buechner-Maxwell VA, Folch H, Henriquez C, Galecio JS, Perez B, Carrasco C, Barria M. Increased apoptosis of CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes in the airways of horses with recurrent airway obstruction. Vet Res Commun 2011 Oct;35(7):447-56.
- Morán G, Folch H, Araya O, Burgos R, Barria M. Detection of reaginic antibodies against Faenia rectivirgula from the serum of horses affected with Recurrent Airway Obstruction by an in vitro bioassay. Vet Res Commun 2010 Dec;34(8):719-26.
- Morán G, Burgos R, Araya O, Folch H. In vitro bioassay to detect reaginic antibodies from the serum of horses affected with recurrent airway obstruction. Vet Res Commun 2010 Jan;34(1):91-9.
- Nardoni S, Mancianti F, Sgorbini M, Taccini F, Corazza M. Identification and seasonal distribution of airborne fungi in three horse stables in Italy. Mycopathologia 2005 Aug;160(1):29-34.
- Lendl L, Barton AK. Equine Asthma Diagnostics: Review of Influencing Factors and Difficulties in Diagnosing Subclinical Disease. Animals (Basel) 2024 Dec 4;14(23).
- Wjst VF, Lübke S, Wagner B, Rhyner C, Jentsch MC, Arnold C, Lohmann KL, Schnabel CL. Aspergillus fumigatus antigen-reactive Th17 cells are enriched in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in severe equine asthma. Front Immunol 2024;15:1367971.
- Jentsch MC, Keilhaue A, Wagner B, Rhyner C, Lübke S, Karagulyan M, Arnold C, Lohmann KL, Schnabel CL. Aspergillus fumigatus binding IgA and IgG1 are increased in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of horses with neutrophilic asthma. Front Immunol 2024;15:1406794.
- Jentsch MC, Lübke S, Schrödl W, Volke D, Krizsan A, Hoffmann R, Kaiser-Thom S, Gerber V, Marti E, Wagner B, Schnabel CL. Immunoproteomics enable broad identification of new Aspergillus fumigatus antigens in severe equine asthma. Front Immunol 2024;15:1347164.
- Schnabel CL, Jentsch MC, Lübke S, Kaiser-Thom S, Gerber V, Vrtala S, Huang HJ, Rhyner C, Wagner B, Hoffmann R, Volke D. Immunoproteomics reveal increased serum IgG3/5 binding to Dermatophagoides and yeast protein antigens in severe equine asthma in a preliminary study. Front Immunol 2023;14:1293684.
- Martins LML. Survey of Sensitization to Common Fungi in an Allergic Dog Population: The Need for Further Focus on Sensitization and Allergy to Fungi in Veterinary Medicine. J Fungi (Basel) 2023 Nov 3;9(11).