Multiple hypersensitivities including recurrent airway obstruction, insect bite hypersensitivity, and urticaria in 2 warmblood horse populations

Abstract

Background: Multiple hypersensitivities (MHS) have been described in humans, cats, and dogs, but not horses.

Hypotheses: Horses suffering from recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), or urticaria (URT) will have an increased risk of also being affected by another one of these hypersensitivities. This predisposition for MHS also will be associated with decreased shedding of strongylid eggs in feces and with a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP BIEC2-224511), previously shown to be associated with RAO.

Animals: The first population (P1) included 119 randomly sampled horses representative of the Swiss sporthorse population; the replication population (P2) included 210 RAO-affected Warmblood horses and 264 RAO-unaffected controls. All horses were Warmbloods, 14 years or older.

Methods: Associations between disease phenotypes (RAO, IBH, URT, MHS) fecal egg counts, the SNP BIEC2-224511 as well as management and environmental factors were investigated.

Results: In P1, RAO-affected horses had a 13.1 times higher odds ratio (OR) of also suffering from IBH (P = .004). In P2, the respective OR was 7.4 (P = .002) and IBH-affected horses also showed a 7.1 times increased OR of concomitantly suffering from URT (P < .001). IBH, URT, and MHS phenotypes were significantly associated with the absence of nematode eggs in the feces.

Conclusions and clinical importance: This is the first report of MHS in horses. Specifically, an increased risk for IBH should be expected in RAO-affected horses.

Keywords: Airway disease; Equine; Genetics; Horse Owner Assessed Respiratory Signs Index.