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Sport Horses with Inflammatory Airway Disease ( IAD ) with Predominantly Eosinophils or Mast Cells Are More Predisposed to Poor Performance, Exercise Induced Pulmonary Haemorrhage ( EIPH ) and Have Shorter Careers When Compared to Horses with Neutrophilic IAD
Author(s) -
Boshuizen B.,
Bruijn C.M.,
Dewulf J.,
Delesalle C.J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
equine veterinary journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.82
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 2042-3306
pISSN - 0425-1644
DOI - 10.1111/evj.12323_13
Subject(s) - neutrophilia , medicine , bronchoalveolar lavage , horse , immunology , mast cell , eosinophilic , asthma , population , eosinophil , gastroenterology , pathology , lung , biology , paleontology , environmental health
Reasons for performing study Clinical differences and variable response to therapy had been suspected between sport horses with predominantly eosinophils and/or mast cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid ( BALF ) and horses with predominantly neutrophilia in the BALF . Objectives To examine possible differences in performance, response to treatment and prognosis between both groups. Study design Retrospective clinical study. Methods A total of 174 client‐owned sport horses that were presented to the Wolvega Equine Clinic for respiratory problems between 2008 and 2013 were included. A questionnaire was used for follow‐up at least 3 months after diagnosis. Cytological BALF counts were considered increased when: neutrophils >5%; eosinophils >1% and mast cells >2%. Data were analysed using SPSS software and Chi square tests. Results Cough and highest mucus scores were significantly more associated with neutrophilic IAD (P = 0.009 and P = 0.007). The neutrophilia group was also significantly more responsive to therapy, often including corticosteroid inhalation, and management optimisation (P = 0.001) and had better long‐term prognosis when compared to horses from the eosinophilic or mast cell groups (P<0.001). Lowest tracheal mucus scores were reported for the eosinophilic group, followed by the mast cell group. Haemosiderophage scores were significantly higher in the eosinophilic and mast cell groups (P<0.001). Poor performance was reported significantly more frequently in horses with eosinophils and mast cells as the main inflammatory cell population in their BALF (P = 0.001). Conclusions Inflammatory airway disease with predominantly mast cells or eosinophils is associated with low endoscopic tracheal mucus scores. These horses are more predisposed to EIPH , poor performance and responded unfavourably to therapy when compared to horses with neutrophilic IAD . Ethical animal research: Ethical committee oversight not currently required by this congress: retrospective study of clinical records. Explicit owner informed consent for participation in this study was not stated. Sources of funding: Not stated. Competing interests: None.