Clinical alterations and mRNA levels of IL-4 and IL-5 in bronchoalveolar cells of horses with transient pulmonary eosinophilia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess clinical signs and altered pulmonary cell expression of cytokines related to eosinophil kinetics in horses with pulmonary eosinophilia.Pulmonary eosinophilia was detected by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in a group of standardbreds in training. Horses had detailed clinical examination, bronchoscopy, endobronchial biopsy and BAL on three occasions at approximately 6 month intervals. During the second sampling period BAL eosinophils were significantly elevated (p > 0.010), with five horses having from 5% to 37% eosinophils in BAL. Neither detailed clinical examination parameters nor gene expression of IL-4 and IL-5 mRNA (real-time-PCR) were associated with BAL eosinophilia.Pulmonary eosinophilia abated without treatment apart from deworming. It appears that pronounced lung eosinophilia in horses can be transient, abate without specific treatment, and in this instance, lack correlation to upregulation of expression of either IL-4 or IL-5. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

equine; IAD; cytokine; lung; parasite

Published in

Research in Veterinary Science
2008, volume: 85, number: 1, pages: 52-55
Publisher: Elsevier

SLU Authors

• Riihimäki, Miia

  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Lilliehöök, Inger

  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Berg, Mikael

  • Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Pringle, John

  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Animal and Dairy Science
Veterinary Science

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2007.09.015

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/20365