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Biomedical subjects

B C McGorum

Publications and source records attributed to B C McGorum.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Studies on pulmonary and systemic Aspergillus fumigatus-specific IgE and IgG antibodies in horses affected with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Inhalant exposure to Aspergillus fumigatus (Asp. f.) antigens induces marked inflammatory and immunological alterations in the lungs of horses affected with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In this study we investigated the role of specific allergen(s) present in Asp. f. on systemic and pulmonary IgE and IgG responses in control and COPD-affected horses, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoblotting techniques. Compared with controls, horses affected with COPD had significantly higher levels of BALF IgE and IgG to somatic Asp. f. antigens as well as to the allergen 1/a (Asp. f. 1/a). Serum levels of IgE and IgG against these antigens did not differ between control and COPD-affected horses. Antigen specific IgE and IgG levels did not correlate between BALF and serum. Scanning of Asp. f. and IgE and IgG blots revealed bands that are recognised by both IgE- and IgG-specific antibodies. Additionally, all horses responded with BALF IgE- and IgG-specific for 93, 35, 31 and 23 kDa allergens, suggesting that these antigens are involved in the induction of airway IgE and IgG responses. These allergens may have the potential to be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis of Asp. f. related exacerbations of equine COPD.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Use of metronidazole in equine acute idiopathic toxaemic colitis.

Sixteen cases of acute idiopathic toxaemic colitis developed in a veterinary hospital over a period of three years. Before the onset of colitis, 15 horses had received antibiotics, 11 had undergone general anaesthesia and various surgical procedures, and 10 had been treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The horses had acute onset, profuse watery diarrhoea, profound depression, mild to moderate abdominal pain, reduced intestinal borborygmi, tachycardia, dehydration and endotoxic shock. Leucopenia, neutropenia and pyrexia were common early indicators of impending colitis. Metronidazole appeared to be an effective treatment; eight horses treated with metronidazole survived whereas five of seven horses that received other treatments, but no metronidazole, died or had to be euthanased. The aetiology of the colitis could not be determined, but the clinicopathological features resembled those of colitis attributed to an intestinal overgrowth of Clostridium perfringens type A. No Salmonella species were isolated from 52 samples of faeces, colonic contents and colonic mucosa which were collected from the horses antemortem and postmortem.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Total and respirable airborne dust endotoxin concentrations in three equine management systems.

The concentrations of total and respirable airborne endotoxin in the breathing zone of a pony in 3 different management systems, on 8 occasions, are reported. Airborne endotoxin concentrations in all 3 systems were lower than those reported for many other agricultural environments. However, total airborne endotoxin concentrations in many of the conventional stables exceeded those which can induce pulmonary inflammation and bronchial hyper-responsiveness in normal human subjects, and exceeded those which can induce bronchoconstriction in humans with pre-existing pulmonary inflammation. Therefore, airborne endotoxin may contribute to the development of airway inflammation and dysfunction in conventionally stabled horses. Potentially detrimental effects of airborne endotoxins on the welfare and exercise performance of stabled horses can be reduced by maintaining horses in 'low dust' stables or at pasture, since these environments had significantly lower airborne dust and endotoxin concentrations.

Air Pollution↗
PubMed1997

Quantification of antigen-specific antibody concentrations in tracheal lavage fluid of horses with summer pasture-associated obstructive pulmonary disease.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether horses with summer pasture-associated obstructive pulmonary disease (SPAOPD) have increased concentrations of antigen-specific IgG and IgE in tracheal lavage fluid, compared with values in clinically normal horses. ANIMALS: 8 horses (6 females, 2 geldings; 6 Quarter Horses, 2 Appaloosas), 14 to 23 years old and with previous diagnosis of SPAOPD, served as the principal group; 8 horses (2 females, 6 geldings; 1 Quarter Horse, 7 Thoroughbreds), 6 to 9 years old, with no evidence of respiratory tract disease, served as the control group. PROCEDURE: Data were collected twice during a 1-year period: when all SPAOPD-affected horses were manifesting clinical signs of disease (July), and when all SPAOPD-affected horses appeared clinically normal (February). On each occasion, clinical evaluations were performed and blood and tracheal lavage fluid samples were collected. Transtracheal lavage supernatant was evaluated for mold antigen-specific IgG and IgE concentrations. RESULTS: Median IgE relative antibody unit (RAU) values were significantly higher in control, compared with principal, horses. The SPAOPD-affected horses had increased concentrations of specific IgG for only 1 antigen, during winter sample collection. CONCLUSION: Antigen-specific IgG and IgE RAU values were not increased in SPAOPD-affected horses when these horses were manifesting clinical signs of disease.

Aging↗
PubMed1995

Equine pulmonary disease: a case control study of 300 referred cases. Part 1: Examination techniques, diagnostic criteria and diagnoses.

Three-hundred adult horses, referred from 1990 to 1993 inclusively, for pulmonary examination were assessed using standardised history taking and clinical, intrapleural pressure, arterial blood gases and pH, bronchoscopic and tracheal and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytological examinations. Two-hundred and thirty-five cases were referred with overt signs of pulmonary disease and the remaining 65 cases were referred for pulmonary examination because of reduced exercise (usually racing) performance or prolonged dyspnoea after racing. No pulmonary disease was detected in 30 cases. The 270 horses with pulmonary disease included 148 cases (54.8%) of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 45 (16.7%) of infectious or post infectious pulmonary disease, 7 (2.6%) of Streptococcus zooepidemicus pulmonary infection, 7 (2.6%) of lungworm infection, 16 (5.9%) of primary exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH), 9 (3.3%) of chronic idiopathic hypoxaemia, 20 (7.4%) of miscellaneous identified pulmonary disorders and 18 (6.7%) of undifferentiated pulmonary disorders. Two cases of primary summer associated obstructive pulmonary disease (SPAOPD) were observed, but 9.5% of COPD affected horses additionally suffered from SPAOPD.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Equine pulmonary disease: a case control study of 300 referred cases. Part 2: Details of animals and of historical and clinical findings.

Examination of historical and clinical details of 270 adult horses suffering from a variety of mainly chronic pulmonary diseases showed that the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) group (median age 9 years) were the oldest, and that the COPD, chronic idiopathic hypoxaemia and exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) groups had the longest duration of disease (median durations 7, 12 and 9 months, respectively) with a median disease duration of 2 months for the remaining horses. A history of antecedent respiratory infection was present in 24.3% of all horses. Six out of 12 horses that grazed with donkeys suffered lungworm infection. Silage was fed to 11.3% of all horses, nonstraw beddings were utilised by 28.7% of horses and 8.7% of horses were maintained permanently outdoors. Environmental control had been unsuccessfully attempted in 47% of COPD cases prior to referral. Histories of poor athletic performance or of excessive post exercise dyspnoea were found to be less definitive indicators of pulmonary disease. Coughing was the most sensitive clinical indicator of pulmonary disease, being present in 71.1% of horses with pulmonary disorders. Nasal discharge was present in 50.4% of these horses and coughing or nasal discharge was present in 86.7% of horses with respiratory disorders. Unilateral nasal discharge was inexplicably present in 3.3% of horses with pulmonary disease. Other clinical findings, including the presence of increased breathing effort, abnormal thoracic or tracheal auscultatory findings were less sensitive diagnostic parameters with pulmonary diseases, and were frequently absent unless severe pulmonary disease was present.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Equine pulmonary disease: a case control study of 300 referred cases. Part 3: Ancillary diagnostic findings.

The majority of 270 adult horses with chronic pulmonary diseases had excessive volumes of respiratory secretions (RS) present in their trachea, elevated tracheal RS neutrophil ratios and lowered arterial oxygen partial pressures. Some control horses, had inexplicably elevated trachael RS neutrophil ratios. Only the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affected group had significantly elevated bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) neutrophil ratios. Maximal intrapleural pressure changes (max dPpl) were raised in 48% of COPD cases and rarely with other pulmonary disorders. Arterial pH or carbon doxide partial pressures values were seldom altered with any pulmonary diseases. Tracheal RS and BALF eosinophil ratios were raised with lungworm infection and idiopathic pulmonary eosinophilia.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Equine pulmonary disease: a case control study of 300 referred cases. Part 4: Treatments and re-examination findings.

One-hundred and forty-seven of 270 (54.4%) horses suffering from pulmonary disorders were given at least one re-examination including, clinical, bronchoscopic, pulmonary function and cytological examinations after treatment and a further 83 of these horses (30.7%) had their clinical progress assessed by verbal or written reports. These examinations and progress reports showed high levels of partial or total recovery for most pulmonary disease categories, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, infectious, S. zooepidemicus and undifferentiated pulmonary disease and lungworm infection groups but not for the miscellaneous pulmonary disease (40% of these cases died), idiopathic chronic hypoxaemic or exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage groups.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Quantitation of alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor in the pulmonary epithelial lining fluid of horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The concentration of alpha-1 proteinase inhibitor (API) was measured in the pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (PELF) of horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) while they had clinical signs and while they had none. The concentrations of total protein, albumin and API were significantly higher in the PELF of animals with clinical signs of COPD. The correlation between albumin and API in the PELF suggested that most of the API was derived from the serum.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Decrease in the alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor Spi3 in equine bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.

The alpha 1-proteinase inhibitors of trypsin, Spi1, Spi3A, and Spi3B, in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum of horses were separated by electrophoresis, and their proportions were quantified in 12 control horses and 12 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A significantly lower proportion of Spi3B (P < 0.05) and higher proportion of Spi1 (P < 0.02 to P < 0.01) were detected in BALF, compared with serum, in control and COPD-affected horses and appeared to be attributable to reduced Spi3 activity in BALF. There was no significant difference between the control and COPD groups in this respect, indicating that the decrease in Spi3 may be a physiologic phenomenon. The differences observed may be associated with proteolytic damage to or preferential complex formation by Spi3.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Temporary bilateral laryngeal paralysis in a horse associated with general anaesthesia and post anaesthetic myositis.

An eight-year-old Highland pony which had previously shown normal laryngeal function, underwent general anaesthesia for surgical treatment of a mandibular sinus. During its recovery from the anaesthesia, the pony suffered great respiratory distress and stridor, due to total bilateral laryngeal paralysis and pulmonary oedema. The animal was immediately given a temporary tracheostomy. Some hours later, postoperative myositis developed; it resolved within two days and the pony's laryngeal function returned to normal during the following year.

Anesthesia, Inhalation↗