Equine Airway Inflammation and Disease Management

Equine airway inflammation encompasses a spectrum of conditions ranging from mild‐to‐moderate equine asthma through to severe equine asthma, each marked by varying degrees of airway hyperresponsiveness, mucus accumulation and impaired gas exchange. Clinical signs include coughing, nasal discharge and reduced exercise tolerance, with performance and welfare implications across disciplines. Underlying mechanisms involve both innate and adaptive immune responses, with neutrophils, mast cells and eosinophils contributing to distinct cytological phenotypes. Environmental triggers such as inhaled dust, mould spores and microbial constituents drive airway inflammation, while genetic and host factors modulate susceptibility. Accurate diagnosis relies on sampling of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and endoscopic evaluation, supported by cytological and molecular assays. Management strategies combine antigen avoidance through environmental control, pharmacological interventions such as corticosteroids or bronchodilators, and targeted therapeutic developments informed by emerging biomarkers. Integrating precision medicine approaches promises to refine phenotyping, optimise treatment responses and improve long‐term outcomes for affected horses.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent single-cell transcriptomic analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage samples has delineated the immune cell composition in mild-to-moderate equine asthma, revealing discrete subpopulations of macrophages, T cells and B cells. A key finding was the upregulation of FKBP5 in affected horses, implicating altered glucocorticoid receptor regulation in disease persistence and treatment response. This high-resolution cellular atlas offers novel biomarkers for early detection and paves the way for more precise therapeutic targeting of airway inflammation.

Equine Airway Inflammation and Disease Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in equine airway inflammation and disease management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF): fluid obtained from the lower airways to sample immune cells and mediators.

Severe equine asthma (SEA): a chronic airway disease characterised by neutrophilic inflammation and marked airway obstruction.

Multi-omics: the combined analysis of genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic datasets to unravel complex biological processes.

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq): a method for profiling gene expression in individual cells, revealing cellular heterogeneity.

FKBP5: a chaperone protein that modulates glucocorticoid receptor sensitivity and influences steroid responsiveness.

References

1. Equine Asthma: Current Understanding and Future Directions. Frontiers in Veterinary Science (2020).
2. Single-cell transcriptomics delineates the immune cell landscape in equine lower airways and reveals upregulation of FKBP5 in horses with asthma. Scientific Reports (2023).
3. Distinct Molecular Profiles Underpin Mild-To-Moderate Equine Asthma Cytological Profiles. Cells (2024).
4. Immunoproteomics reveal increased serum IgG3/5 binding to Dermatophagoides and yeast protein antigens in severe equine asthma in a preliminary study. Frontiers in Immunology (2023).
5. Single‐cell profiling of bronchoalveolar cells reveals a Th17 signature in neutrophilic severe equine asthma. Immunology (2023).