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Equine veterinary journal2025; 58(2); 380-389; doi: 10.1111/evj.70123

Synovial chemokine and cytokine profiles in horses with and without systemic Borrelia burgdorferi infection.

Abstract: Lyme arthritis, a well-documented subtype of arthritis in humans and dogs, is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and spread primarily through ticks (Ixodes spp.). While Lyme disease in horses is known to cause a variety of clinical signs, its involvement in the development of equine arthritis is controversial. As climate change enables tick populations to expand, more horses could be exposed to B. burgdorferi; therefore, a greater understanding of how Lyme disease affects joints is critical to preserving soundness. Objective: To determine if systemic, naturally occurring Lyme disease had a discernible effect on joint inflammatory markers in horses presenting with a variety of joint pathologies. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Synovial fluid samples were collected at the start of routine joint injection or immediately prior to surgery and analysed for chemokine and cytokine levels. Serum samples from each horse were tested for outer surface protein (OSP) markers via Lyme Multiplex. Results: Six of twenty-five enrolled horses (24%) tested positive for at least one Lyme outer surface protein marker (OSP A 0/6; OSP C 2/6; OSP F 6/6; mean age 11.17 ± 6.31 years), and three more horses had an equivocal result (OSP A 0/3; OSP C 1/3; OSP F 3/3; mean age 11.67 ± 2.62 years). While most synovial inflammatory markers showed no statistical difference between systemic, serologic Lyme infection status and presumed arthritic joints (p = 0.1-0.7) or trauma-associated joints (p = 0.4-0.9), we observed a noteworthy negative association between CCL2 synovial fluid levels and systemic Lyme status (p = 0.01). Conclusions: Sample size was a primary limitation. Conclusions: The negative association observed between CCL2 synovial fluid levels and systemic Lyme status was also present in arthritic joints of horses with systemic B. burgdorferi infection. Notably, this contrasts with past reports of increased synovial fluid CCL2 levels associated with Lyme arthritis in other species.
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Publication Date: 2025-11-26 PubMed ID: 41297916DOI: 10.1111/evj.70123Google Scholar: Lookup
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APA
Clark KF, Lemcke RA, Gasiorowski JC, Wagner B. (2025). Synovial chemokine and cytokine profiles in horses with and without systemic Borrelia burgdorferi infection. Equine Vet J, 58(2), 380-389. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.70123

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 58
Issue: 2
Pages: 380-389

Researcher Affiliations

Clark, Kyle F
  • Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center, Ringoes, New Jersey, USA.
Lemcke, Rachel A
  • Amwell Data Services LLC, Ringoes, New Jersey, USA.
Gasiorowski, Janik C
  • Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center, Ringoes, New Jersey, USA.
Wagner, Bettina
  • Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Lyme Disease / veterinary
  • Lyme Disease / metabolism
  • Lyme Disease / microbiology
  • Lyme Disease / immunology
  • Horse Diseases / microbiology
  • Horse Diseases / metabolism
  • Synovial Fluid / chemistry
  • Borrelia burgdorferi
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Cytokines / genetics
  • Chemokines / metabolism
  • Chemokines / genetics
  • Female
  • Male

Grant Funding

  • American Association of Rehabilitation Veterinarians

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