title: Multiple specificities of immunoglobulin M in equine fetuses infected with Leptospira interrogans indicate a competent immune response.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Foals of mares infected with Leptospira interrogans serovar Pomona type kennewicki (Lk) may be aborted/stillborn or delivered as healthy foals. Is fetal survival explained in part by the immune response of the fetus to Leptospira antigens?
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe an outbreak of Leptospira abortion in which infected mares delivered dead/sick or normal foals and determine specificities of antibody in a collection of 54 fetuses from similar outbreaks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outbreak investigation in combination with a case-control study of a larger set of samples from aborted fetuses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on urine and amniotic fluids were used to diagnose infection during an outbreak of Leptospira abortion. Specificities of immunoglobulin (Ig)M, IgGa and IgGb for recombinant proteins of Lk in archived fluids of fetuses from similar outbreaks were compared by ELISA with those of fluids of fetuses not infected with Leptospira spp.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five fetuses of 11 infected mares in an outbreak survived in utero in the presence of persistent placental infection and were healthy at foaling. Fetuses of 6 mares in the outbreak were aborted or died soon after birth. Significantly greater (P<0.05) IgM reactivity with all recombinant proteins and with Lk sonicate was observed in 54 archived fluids from Leptospira infected fetuses than in fluids of 30 of non-Leptospira infected fetuses. Low levels of IgGa and IgGb specific for LipL32 and Lk sonicate and traces of LigA and Hsp15 specific IgGa were detected in a minority of archived fluids from Leptospira infected fetuses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although mainly mediated by IgM, a high level of immune competence in aborted fetuses was evidenced by the multiplicity of Leptospira proteins targeted. This is likely to contribute to survival of foals in mares with evidence of placental infection at foaling as detailed in a typical outbreak.
authors.affiliation: Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Velineni
authors.affiliation: Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA. jtimoney@uky.edu.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Timoney
authors.affiliation: Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Artiushin
authors.affiliation: University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Lexington, USA.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Donahue
authors.affiliation: University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Lexington, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steinman
mesh_terms: D037881:Aborted Fetus / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology; D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006736:Horses; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007629:Kentucky / Q000453:epidemiology; D007921:Leptospira interrogans / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007922:Leptospirosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D007075:Immunoglobulin M
keywords: 
  Leptospira interrogans
  ; abortion/stillbirth; fetus; horse; immune response