Mast cells and IgE-bearing cells in lungs of RAO-affected horses.

Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) is a common condition in stabled horses characterised by small airway inflammation and obstruction following exposure of susceptible horses to mouldy hay and straw. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether lung tissue from horses with RAO contains higher numbers of IgE-protein positive (+) cells and mast cells compared to controls after mouldy hay challenge. Furthermore, mast cell subtypes in lung tissue were investigated.

Endoscopic scoring of mucus quantity and quality: observer and horse variance and relationship to inflammation, mucus viscoelasticity and volume.

Reasons For Performing Study: Endoscopic scoring of airway mucus quantity and quality has not been critically assessed.

Objectives: To evaluate mucus scores for 1) observer- and horse-related variance and 2) association with inflammation, mucus viscoelasticity and measured volume.

Methods: Variance of scoring within and between observers and over time within horses were determined for airway mucus accumulation, apparent viscosity, localisation and colour, and correlations of mucus accumulation scores with neutrophil ratios in secretions.

Airway mucus in recurrent airway obstruction--short-term response to environmental challenge.

Mucus accumulation and neutrophilic inflammation in the airways are hallmarks of heaves. Endoscopically visible mucus accumulations, however, have not been studied during exposure to dusty hay and allergens (ie, environmental challenge). We hypothesized that (1) heaves-affected horses have increased mucus accumulation compared with controls, (2) mucus accumulations increase in heaves-affected horses during environmental challenge, and (3) environmental challenge also induces neutrophilic inflammation and mucus accumulation in control horses.

[Application of ultrasonic cavitation in combined treatment of polypous rhinosinusitis].

Clinical data are available on 109 patients with different forms of polypous rhinosinusitis who have undergone ultrasonic cavitation (USC) of medicinal solutions (antiseptics, antibiotics) in the course of maxillary sinusotomy. USC cleared the sinus from necrotic tissues, depressed the growth of the polyps and pathogenic microflora. Long-term results of the combined treatment were studied in 78 patients.

Airway inflammation and mucus in two age groups of asymptomatic well-performing sport horses.

Reasons For Performing Study: Horses housed in conventional stable environments are exposed to high dust loads. Long-term exposure to inhaled dust may lead to subclinical airway disease.

Hypotheses: Airway inflammation and mucus accumulation are 1) common in asymptomatic well-performing sport horses, 2) increased in older compared to younger individuals and 3) correlated.

Nutritional status using the Mini Nutritional Assessment questionnaire and its relationship with bone quality in a population of institutionalized elderly women.

Malnutrition, a risk factor for osteoporotic fractures, is frequent in elderly people and, is underdiagnosed and undertreated. There are only few studies on the nutritional status of elderly people in Europe. The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) is a non invasive and validated questionnaire to evaluate nutritional status in elderly people, classified in three groups: 1 degree score < 17: malnourished, 2 degrees score >17 and < 24: at risk of malnutrition, 3 degrees score >24: well-nourished, with a maximum of 30 points.

Mucin genes in horse airways: MUC5AC, but not MUC2, may play a role in recurrent airway obstruction.

Reasons For Performing Study: Increased mucin gene expression may be an important cause of mucus accumulation observed in recurrent airway obstruction (RAO)-affected horses. To date, however, no mucin gene sequences are available for the horse.

Objectives: To identify equine homologues of gel-forming mucins and investigate their expression at different airway generations of healthy and RAO-affected horses.

Coughing, mucus accumulation, airway obstruction, and airway inflammation in control horses and horses affected with recurrent airway obstruction.

Objective: To investigate relationships between cough frequency and mucus accumulation, airway obstruction, and airway inflammation and to determine effects of dexamethasone on coughing and mucus score.

Animals: 13 horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) and 6 control horses.

Procedure: 6 RAO-affected and 6 control horses were stabled for 3 days.

Use of volumetric capnography to identify pulmonary dysfunction in horses with and without clinically apparent recurrent airway obstruction.

Objective: To investigate whether volumetric capnography indices could be used to differentiate between horses without recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) and horses with RAO that were in clinical remission or that had clinically apparent RAO.

Animals: 70 adult Swiss Warmblood horses (20 used for pleasure riding and 50 used for dressage or show jumping).

Procedure: Horses were allocated to 4 groups on the basis of history, clinical signs, results of endoscopy, and cytologic findings (group 1, 21 healthy horses; group 2, 22 horses with RAO that were in remission; group 3, 16 horses with mild RAO; group 4, 11 horses with exacerbated RAO).

Malignant granulosa-theca cell tumor in a two-year-old Miniature Horse.

A 2-year-old female Miniature Horse that presented with a history of progressive weight loss, depression, and diarrhea was diagnosed at necropsy with a highly malignant abdominal neoplasm involving the left ovary, kidneys, adrenal glands, intestines, and various abdominal and thoracic lymph nodes. Microscopic examination of these masses revealed large pleomorphic cells that stained positive for vimentin and inhibin and negative for epithelial membrane antigen and placental alkaline phosphatase. Ultrastructural examination of the cells revealed a high nucleocytoplasmic ratio and indented euchromatic nuclei with large nucleoli.

Relationship between clinical signs and pulmonary function estimated by the single breath diagram for CO(2) (SBD-CO(2)) in horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The pulmonary health of 66 horses was assessed by a clinical examination and simple supplementary diagnostic methods. Single breath diagrams for CO(2) (SBD-CO(2)) and derived lung function indices were used to determine pulmonary function. The clinical signs in different groups were related to the results of the lung function indices derived from the SBD-CO(2).

Persistent mucin glycoprotein alterations in equine recurrent airway obstruction.

Horses with the episodic asthmalike condition of recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) have bouts of inflammation and bronchoconstriction associated with indoor housing. To assess the potential differences in airway secretions between RAO-affected and control horses, methods to quantify mucus secretions were developed and applied to bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The relative difference in the amount of mucin glycoproteins between control and RAO-affected horses was assessed with a carbohydrate side chain-specific monoclonal antibody (4E4) in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and by carbohydrate-specific enzyme-linked lectin assays.

Stabling is associated with airway inflammation in young Arabian horses.

We examined the effect of stabling on upper and lower airway inflammation in 14 yearling Arabian horses that had been at pasture since birth. Horses were divided into 2 groups of 7. One group was stabled for 3 months and the other remained at pasture.

Tracheobronchial mucus viscoelasticity during environmental challenge in horses with recurrent airway obstruction.

The goal of this study was to compare the rheological properties of mucus from horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) to that from healthy controls during environmental challenge by stabling in stalls with straw as bedding and hay as feed. We determined viscoelasticity (log G* dyn/cm2, at 10 radian/s) and calculated mucociliary clearability index (MCI) and cough clearability index (CCI), which are derivative parameters of G* and the ratio of viscosity and elasticity measured at 1 and 100 radian/s, respectively. We also investigated the solids content of mucus, and cytology of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF).

[Clinical classification of chronic odontogenic maxillary sinusitis].

Examination of 248 patients with odontogenic maxillary sinusitis (OMS) has shown that most of OMS forms run a chronic course. Their clinical classification is outlined with a special emphasis on the latent form which occurs in 16.5% of the examinees.

A case of interstitial pneumonia associated with Pneumocystis carinii in a foal.

Subacute interstitial pneumonia with diffuse alveolar damage, marked macrophage infiltration, and intracellular Pneumocystis carinii cysts is described in a 3-month-old Swiss warmblood foal. Clinically, the disease was characterized by sudden onset of respiratory distress with fatal outcome. Based on serum immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, and IgM values, no humoral immunosuppression was detected.

In vivo determination of surface tension in the horse trachea and in vitro model studies.

We measured the surface tension in the trachea of the non-anaesthetised horse from the spreading behaviour of fluid drops, using videotracheoscopy. To do this, we placed small oil drops onto the tracheal wall with a thin Teflon tubing inserted into a videocolonoscope used in humans. Either 5 ml of saline (control) or 5 ml of bovine lipid extract surfactant (BLES) at 4 mg/ml were administered.

[Sulpiride in the prophylactic treatment of migraine].

The aim of the work was investigation of both efficacy of sulpiride, atypical neuroleptic drug with pronounced antidepressive activity, and its influence on central nervous system. The study was performed in the course of prophylactic treatment of migraine using contingent negative variation (CNV) index. It is demonstrated that sulpiride is effective in prophylactic treatment of migraine complicated with psychologic disorders and autonomic dysfunctions.

Mucus quality on horse tracheal epithelium: microscopic grading based on transparency.

The aim of this ex-vivo study on excised tracheas of healthy horses was to characterise the microscopic heterogeneity of mucus quality by a visual grading system based on transparency and to determine whether differences in mucus quality, assessed by a visual grading system, influence tracheal mucus velocity (TMV). Small pieces of each trachea were mounted into a humidified chamber under a microscope. Mucus quality was visually subdivided into four grades (MG) and ciliary beat frequency and TMV were determined.

Polymorphism of age-related changes in the antibody response to the hapten phosphorylcholine.

Aging is accompanied by changes in the immune system that occur at different levels and at different periods of time. We have studied age-related changes in isotype and idiotype of the antibody response to hapten phosphorylcholine (PC) in C57BL/6, and A mice and in the congenic MRL/Mp(-)+/+ and MRL/Mp-1pr/1pr strains. Three groups, representing young, middle and old age were immunized with PC-keyhole limpet hemocyanin.