Tracheal Endoscopic and Cytological Findings and Blood Examination Results in Thoroughbred Racehorses Suspected to have Lower Respiratory Tract Disease.
Abstract: Cytology of tracheal aspirates, tracheal endoscopic and blood tests were carried out to 86 Thoroughbred racehorses presenting coughs or poor performance which were suspected to have lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD) to assess the conditions of the disorders. Racehorses were classified into coughing (66 horses) and non-coughing (20 horses) groups based on clinical symptoms. Nine Thoroughbred racehorses without respiratory abnormality were used as controls. Assessment of grades of airway mucus, cytology of tracheal aspirates and serum amyloid A (SAA), fibrinogen (Fbg) and pulmonary surfactant protein D (SP-D) measurements were performed. Relationships between age, gender and racing careers were also investigated to understand the characteristics of LRTD in racehorses. Mean age was significantly higher in non-coughing group compared to coughing group. Existence of racing career and number of starts were significantly greater in non-coughing group compared to coughing group. On the other hand, grades of airway mucus were significantly higher in coughing group compared to control group. Percentages of neutrophils in tracheal aspirates were significantly higher in coughing group compared to non-coughing and control groups. SAA, Fbg and SP-D were higher in coughing group compared to non-coughing and control groups indicating that condition of coughing group is in the acute phase. Positive rate of inflammatory airway disease was significantly higher in coughing and non-coughing groups compared to control group. It was concluded that carrying out comprehensive evaluation including investigation on SAA, Fbg and SP-D analysis with airway assessment to Thoroughbred racehorses which were suspected to have LRTD are useful procedure to understand the pathological condition which aid to initiate appropriate treatment, prognosis judgment or to advise trainers to consider altering training regimen.
Publication Date: 2009-01-09 PubMed ID: 24833960PubMed Central: PMC4013951DOI: 10.1294/jes.19.97Google 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
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 study examined the health of Thoroughbred racehorses suspected of having a lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD), by performing cytology of tracheal aspirates, tracheal endoscopy, and blood tests. The affected horses showed higher values in their serum amyloid A (SAA), fibrinogen (Fbg) and surfactant protein D (SP-D) levels, compared to the control group and non-coughing racehorses.
Aims and Methods
- The study aimed to evaluate the conditions of 86 Thoroughbred racehorses that were suspected to have LRTD due to symptoms such as coughs and poor performance.
- Methods such as tracheal endoscopy, blood tests, and cytology of tracheal aspirates were used to assess the condition of the disorders.
- The horses were divided into two groups for the study: coughing (66 horses) and non-coughing (20 horses). Nine horses without any respiratory abnormalities were used as a control group.
- They also investigated the relationships between age, gender, and racing careers of the horses.
Key findings
- The findings revealed that horses in the non-coughing group had a significantly higher mean age and had raced more compared to the coughing group.
- The status of their airway mucus was worse in the coughing group compared to the control group, as well as the percentages of neutrophils in their tracheal aspirates.
- The study found higher levels of SAA, Fbg and SP-D in the coughing group, indicating that this group was in the acute phase of the condition.
- Both the coughing and non-coughing groups had a significantly higher rate of inflammatory airway disease compared to the control group.
Conclusions and Recommendations
- The study concluded that conducting comprehensive evaluations, which include investigations on SAA, Fbg and SP-D analysis with airway assessment, are useful for understanding the pathological condition of horses suspected to have LRTD.
- These evaluations can also help to initiate the appropriate treatment, prognosis judgment or advise trainers to consider changing the training regimen of the horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Kusano K, Hobo S, Ode H, Ishikawa Y.
(2009).
Tracheal Endoscopic and Cytological Findings and Blood Examination Results in Thoroughbred Racehorses Suspected to have Lower Respiratory Tract Disease.
J Equine Sci, 19(4), 97-102.
https://doi.org/10.1294/jes.19.97 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Miho Racehorse Clinic, Miho Training Center, Japan Racing Association, 2500-2 Mikoma, Miho-mura, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki 300-0493, Japan.
- Microbiology Division, Epizootic Research Center, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke-shi, Tochigi 329-0412, Japan.
- Microbiology Division, Epizootic Research Center, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, 1400-4 Shiba, Shimotsuke-shi, Tochigi 329-0412, Japan.
- Miho Racehorse Clinic, Miho Training Center, Japan Racing Association, 2500-2 Mikoma, Miho-mura, Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki 300-0493, Japan.
References
This article includes 17 references
- Bailey CJ, Rose RJ, Reid SW, Hodgson DR. Wastage in the Australian thoroughbred racing industry: a survey of Sydney trainers.. Aust Vet J 1997 Jan;75(1):64-6.
- Borges AS, Divers TJ, Stokol T, Mohammed OH. Serum iron and plasma fibrinogen concentrations as indicators of systemic inflammatory diseases in horses.. J Vet Intern Med 2007 May-Jun;21(3):489-94.
- Burrell MH, Wood JL, Whitwell KE, Chanter N, Mackintosh ME, Mumford JA. Respiratory disease in thoroughbred horses in training: the relationships between disease and viruses, bacteria and environment.. Vet Rec 1996 Sep 28;139(13):308-13.
- Christley RM, Hodgson DR, Rose RJ, Hodgson JL, Wood JL, Reid SW. Coughing in thoroughbred racehorses: risk factors and tracheal endoscopic and cytological findings.. Vet Rec 2001 Jan 27;148(4):99-104.
- Couëtil LL, Hoffman AM, Hodgson J, Buechner-Maxwell V, Viel L, Wood JL, Lavoie JP. Inflammatory airway disease of horses.. J Vet Intern Med 2007 Mar-Apr;21(2):356-61.
- Hobo S, Matsuda Y, Yoshida K. Prevalence of upper respiratory tract disorders detected with a flexible videoendoscope in thoroughbred racehorses.. J Vet Med Sci 1995 Jun;57(3):409-13.
- Hobo S, Niwa H, Anzai T. Evaluation of serum amyloid A and surfactant protein D in sera for identification of the clinical condition of horses with bacterial pneumonia.. J Vet Med Sci 2007 Aug;69(8):827-30.
- Hoffman A. Bronchoalveolar lavage technique and cytological diagnosis of small airway inflammation disease. Equine Vet. Educ. 1999;11:330–336.
- Jacobsen S, Jensen JC, Frei S, Jensen AL, Thoefner MB. Use of serum amyloid A and other acute phase reactants to monitor the inflammatory response after castration in horses: a field study.. Equine Vet J 2005 Nov;37(6):552-6.
- Jeffcott LB, Rossdale PD, Freestone J, Frank CJ, Towers-Clark PF. An assessment of wastage in thoroughbred racing from conception to 4 years of age.. Equine Vet J 1982 Jul;14(3):185-98.
- Kusano K, Ishikawa Y, Seki K, Kusunose R. Characteristic of inflammatory airway disease in Japanese thoroughbred racehorses.. J Equine Sci 2008;19(2):25-9.
- Pascoe JR, Ferraro GL, Cannon JH, Arthur RM, Wheat JD. Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage in racing thoroughbreds: a preliminary study.. Am J Vet Res 1981 May;42(5):703-7.
- Ramzan PH, Parkin TD, Shepherd MC. Lower respiratory tract disease in Thoroughbred racehorses: analysis of endoscopic data from a UK training yard.. Equine Vet J 2008 Jan;40(1):7-13.
- Raphel CF. Endoscopic findings in the upper respiratory tract of 479 horses.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1982 Sep 1;181(5):470-3.
- Robinson NE, Hoffman A, Couteil L, Derksen F, Dixon P, Gerber V, Ghio A, Hodgson D, Hodgson J, Lavoie JP, Malikides N, Marlin D, Mazan M, McGorum B, Newton R, Nyman G, Platz C, Rush B, Smith K, Townsend H, Viel L, Votion D, Wood J. Inflammatory airway disease: defining the syndrome. Conclusions of the Havemeyer Workshop. Equine Vet. Educ. 2003;15:61–63.
- Rossdale PD, Hopes R, Digby NJ, offord K. Epidemiological study of wastage among racehorses 1982 and 1983.. Vet Rec 1985 Jan 19;116(3):66-9.
- Stick JA, Derksen FJ. Use of videoendoscopy during exercise for determination of appropriate surgical treatment of laryngeal hemiplegia in a colt.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 1989 Sep 1;195(5):619-22.
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Cullinane A, Garvey M, Walsh C, Gibbons J, Creighton A. A Scoping Review of Non-Structural Airway Disease as a Cause of Poor Performance in Racehorses.. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jan 27;13(3).
- Leclere M, Lavoie-Lamoureux A, Lavoie JP. Acute phase proteins in racehorses with inflammatory airway disease.. J Vet Intern Med 2015 May-Jun;29(3):940-5.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
