Viral infection and allergy – What equine immune responses can tell us about disease severity and protection.
Abstract: Horses have many naturally occurring diseases that mimic similar conditions in humans. The ability to conduct environmentally controlled experiments and induced disease studies in a genetically diverse host makes the horse a valuable intermediate model between mouse studies and human clinical trials. This review highlights important similarities in the immune landscape between horses and humans using current research on two equine diseases as examples. First, equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) infection initiates a series of innate inflammatory signals at its mucosal entry site in the upper respiratory tract. These inflammatory markers are highly synchronized and predictable between individuals during viral respiratory infection and ultimately lead to adaptive immune induction and protection. The timing of early inflammatory signals, followed by specific adaptive immune markers correlating with immunity and protection, allow accurate outbreak tracking and also provide a foundation for understanding the importance of local mucosal immunity during other viral respiratory infections. Second, rare peripheral blood immune cells that promote allergic inflammation can be analyzed during Culicoides hypersensitivity, a naturally occurring type I IgE-mediated allergic disease of horses. Rare immune cells, such as IgE-binding monocytes or basophils, can be studied repeatedly in the horse model to unravel their larger mechanistic role in inflammation during allergic and other inflammatory diseases. We conclude with a survey of all other common equine inflammatory conditions. Together, this review serves as a reference and rationale for the horse as a non-rodent model for immunological research.
Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2021-05-08 PubMed ID: 33975251DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2021.04.013Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Review
Summary
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The research article demonstrates that studying horse diseases can provide valuable insights into human health, particularly regarding the immune responses during viral infections and allergies. It focuses specifically on equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) and equine Culicoides hypersensitivity, showing their relevance for understanding human diseases.
Using Horses as Study Subjects
- The researchers chose horses as their primary study subject due to their environmental controlled experiments and induced disease studies. This allows for an increased understanding of human immunity due to the genetic diversity of horses.
- According to the study, the horse can serve as an excellent model for immunological research as it bridges the gap between mouse studies and human clinical trials.
Importance of Early Inflammatory Signals in Viral Respiratory Infection
- The study discusses how EHV-1, a type of equine herpesvirus, impacts the immune response in horses, which can provide insights into human diseases.
- The initial inflammation due to EHV-1 initiates a predictable series of inflammatory signals leading to adaptive immune induction and subsequent protection.
- This early signaling can help accurately track disease outbreaks and understand the role of local mucosal immunity during respiratory infections in humans.
Analyzing Rare Peripheral Blood Immune Cells and Allergic Inflammation
- The second part of the study focuses on Culicoides hypersensitivity, a specific type of IgE-mediated allergic disease present in horses.
- By studying rare immune cells that promote allergic inflammation, such as IgE-binding monocytes or basophils, the researchers can gain a deeper understanding of their role in creating inflammation during allergic reactions and other inflammatory diseases.
Survey of Common Equine Inflammatory Conditions
- The study concludes by examining other common equine inflammatory conditions, which can help expand the overall understanding of inflammation and immunity.
- By identifying similarities between equine and human diseases, researchers can improve their understanding of human health and tailor treatments
and preventive measures accordingly.
Cite This Article
APA
Larson EM, Wagner B.
(2021).
Viral infection and allergy – What equine immune responses can tell us about disease severity and protection.
Mol Immunol, 135, 329-341.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molimm.2021.04.013 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States.
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, United States. Electronic address: bw73@cornell.edu.
MeSH Terms
- Adaptive Immunity / immunology
- Animals
- Ceratopogonidae / immunology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Herpesviridae Infections / immunology
- Herpesviridae Infections / pathology
- Herpesviridae Infections / veterinary
- Herpesvirus 1, Equid / immunology
- Horse Diseases / immunology
- Horse Diseases / virology
- Horses
- Humans
- Hypersensitivity / immunology
- Hypersensitivity / pathology
- Hypersensitivity / veterinary
- Immunity, Mucosal / immunology
- Immunoglobulin E / immunology
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Simonin EM, Wagner B. IgE-binding monocytes upregulate the coagulation cascade in allergic horses.. Genes Immun 2023 Jun;24(3):130-138.
- Simonin EM, Babasyan S, Tarsillo J, Wagner B. IgE+ plasmablasts predict the onset of clinical allergy.. Front Immunol 2023;14:1104609.
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