Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Immunologic studies of a horse with lymphosarcoma.
- Journal:
- Veterinary immunology and immunopathology
- Year:
- 1993
- Authors:
- Ansar Ahmed, S et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Pathobiology
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A horse with lymphosarcoma, a type of cancer affecting the lymphatic system, underwent various tests to understand its immune system and overall health. The tests showed several issues, including low levels of important antibodies in the blood, even though there was an increase in total protein levels. The horse's immune cells were not responding properly to certain stimulants, indicating a problem with T cell activation, and there were also factors in the blood that seemed to suppress the immune response. Additionally, the horse had unusual lymphocytes, or white blood cells, and a specific abnormal protein pattern in its blood. Overall, these findings highlight significant immune system problems in this horse.
Abstract
Immunological, clinical, and pathological investigations were conducted on a horse with lymphosarcoma. The immunological status was investigated by measuring the level of antibodies by single radial immunodiffusion test and the ability of lymphocytes to proliferate in response to mitogens. Multiple immunological abnormalities were noted in this horse. They were; (1) decreased IgM, IgG, and IgA levels in the serum despite hyperproteinemia; (2) increased in-vitro spontaneous lymphoproliferation which reflects augmented mitosis; (3) decreased lymphoproliferative response to T cell stimulants (e.g. Concanavalin-A (Con-A)) suggesting impaired T cell activation; (4) presence of immunosuppressive factors in serum as demonstrated by in-vitro lymphocyte culture systems. Clinical pathology findings revealed an unusual monoclonal alpha peak in the serum and morphologically abnormal lymphocytes distributed throughout the body. Serum fractionated by fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) revealed that the immunosuppressive factors were found in this abnormal alpha peak. The immunopathological findings in this horse are discussed.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8291201/