Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Agammaglobulinemia in a horse.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1979
- Authors:
- Deem, D A et al.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
An 18-month-old Standardbred horse was found to have a serious immune system problem called agammaglobulinemia, which means it couldn't produce certain antibodies needed to fight infections. The horse had a persistent fever and multiple bacterial infections, along with low levels of certain white blood cells. Tests showed that the horse had very low levels of a protein called gamma-globulin, which is important for immune function. Although the horse couldn't make antibodies when exposed to foreign substances, it did show some normal immune responses in other tests. Unfortunately, the treatment for this condition was not mentioned, so we don't know if it was effective.
Abstract
Immunologic deficiency was suspected in an 18-month-old Standardbred horse with persistent fever, multifocal bacterial infection, and neutropenia with a large number of immature neutrophils. Serum protein electrophoresis revealed marked depression of the gamma-globulin fraction (0.2 g/100 ml). Immunologic testing and histologic examination of lymphoid tissues identified the immune deficit as agammaglobulinemia. Serum concentrations of immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgG(T) were initially low and declined with time; IgM and IgA were not detectable. The horse failed to produce antibodies when inoculated with foreign antigens but had a positive cell-mediated skin reaction to intradermal phytolectin injection, and lymphocytes responded normally to in vitro stimulation by mitogens. Histologic examination of lymphoid tissues revealed absence of germinal centers and plasma cells.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/500481/