Lack of detectable equine herpesviruses 1 and 2 in paraffin-embedded specimens of equine sarcoidosis.
BACKGROUND
Equine sarcoidosis is a rare, multisystemic, noncaseating, granulomatous and lymphoplasmacytic disease of unknown etiology. A recent report described a horse with granulomatous skin disease displaying histologic, electron microscopic, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) findings consistent with equine herpesvirus 2 (EHV-2).


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the presence of EHV-2 and equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) in 8 horses with sarcoidosis.


METHODS
Eight horses with sarcoidosis, reported previously.


METHODS
Retrospective study. PCR assays of the tissues were performed to detect DNA associated with EHV-1 and EHV-2. For both herpesviruses the target was their respective glycoprotein B gene. Positive controls consisted of DNA from viral cultures of culturettes from naturally occurring respiratory infections of EHV-1 and EHV-2.


RESULTS
The PCR analyses for both equine herpesviruses' DNA were negative in all 8 horses.


CONCLUSIONS
The failure to detect DNA from EHV-1 and EHV-2 in paraffin-embedded skin of these 8 horses does not discount EHV-1 or EHV-2 as causing some cases of ES, but lends support to the presumably multifactorial etiologic nature of the disease.
White
S D
SD
Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA. sdwhite@ucdavis.edu
Foley
J E
JE
Spiegel
I B
IB
Ihrke
P J
PJ
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004861:Herpesvirus 1, Equid / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D006736:Horses; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D018144:Rhadinovirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000662:veterinary