Molecular and Cellular Evaluation of Horses With Summer Pasture Associated Asthma Syndrome

Equine asthma is an airway disease that affects a large number of horses annually leading to considerable economic losses in the horse industry. Despite advances in research in this area, there is still a lack of information on its etiology and molecular characterization in pasture associated asthma. The objective of the current study was to characterize the inflammatory disease of lower airways in horses maintained on pasture through cytologic and immunologic profile during the summer in a tropical environment by analysis of the gene expression of Th1 cytokines (IFN- lambda, IL-8), Th2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-5), and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1, TNF- alpha) in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid in healthy and asthma horses on pasture. A group 39 of clinically healthy horses maintained on native pasture and supplemented with concentrate was evaluated by BAL analyzed for differential cellular count and assigned into a control and an asthma group. The gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines was analyzed in the BAL by reverse time PCR (RT-PCR) (IL-1 alpha (alpha), IL-4, IL-5, IL-8, TNF- alpha alpha and IFN- lambda), using beta-actin as housekeeping gene. Higher gene expression of IL-1, IL-4, IL-5, IL-8, IFN- lambda in the BAL of asthma horses was found. Current results indicate an increase in Th2, characterizing an allergic inflammatory reaction due to the significant increase in IL-5 in asthmatic horses (10.3 +/- 1.13), when compared to the values obtained in normal horses (3.27 +/- 0.46). The only down regulated cytokine in the asthma group was TNF- alpha, suggesting a chronic antigenic reaction.

Automated summary

This study characterized the inflammatory disease of lower airways in horses maintained on pasture by analyzing their cytologic and immunologic profile. The gene expression of cytokines in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was analyzed. The results showed an increase in Th2 cytokines in asthmatic horses, indicating an allergic inflammatory reaction. TNF-alpha was the only down-regulated cytokine, suggesting a chronic antigenic reaction.