title: Airway wall eosinophilia is not a feature of equine heaves.
abstract: The objective of this study was to determine whether eosinophils infiltrate the airway wall of horses with heaves. Eosinophils were evaluated using paraffin embedded lung tissues from six heaves-affected horses in crisis and six aged-matched controls. Slides were stained using Luna's method and eosinophils enumerated using histomorphometric techniques. Total eosinophil counts (expressed per mm(2) of basement membrane) were significantly higher in the airways of controls horses than in horses with heaves. Intraluminal, intraepithelial, and airway smooth muscle eosinophils counts were also increased in control horses. The results suggest that eosinophils do not contribute to the persistent airway obstruction in heaves.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dubuc
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada. Electronic address: jean-pierre.lavoie@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lavoie
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000009:adverse effects; D001249:Asthma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006736:Horses; D006799:Housing, Animal; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens
keywords: Airway; Eosinophilia; Heaves; Horse