RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Collection of fluid from the lower respiratory tract (LRT) plays an important role in both the pathophysiological investigation and diagnosis of respiratory tract disease. Enzymes such as ALP are, among others, indicators of cell damage or death, type II pneumocyte proliferation, and neutrophil invasion, and have been useful as biomarkers of respiratory disease in other species. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine and compare tracheal wash (TW) ALP activity in healthy horses and horses with LRT inflammation (LRTI) determined by TW cytology profile. METHODS: Tracheal washes were collected from asymptomatic adult geldings to measure ALP activity. The horses were allocated to the healthy group or the group with LRT inflammation based on differential leukocyte counts of TW preparations. Horses with > 20% neutrophils and > 1% eosinophils were allocated to the LRTI group, the horses with < 20% neutrophils and < 1% eosinophils were the controls. RESULTS: Tracheal wash ALP activity, measured using a semiautomatic chemistry analyzer, was statistically significantly higher in 18 horses with LRTI (18.9 ± 11.2 × 10(3) U/L) than in healthy horses (10.3 ± 5.9 × 10(3) U/L) (P = .021). CONCLUSIONS: Determining tracheal wash ALP activity is a simple, inexpensive and safe technique that can be used to facilitate the early diagnosis of equine respiratory disease, since it is higher in asymptomatic adult horses with a TW cytology profile consistent with LRT inflammation than in healthy adult horses with a normal TW cytology profile.

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RESUMO

Objetivou-se caracterizar clinicamente a doença inflamatória de vias aéreas (DIVA) em eqüinos de policiamento aparentemente sadios. Utilizaram-se 17 eqüinos adultos machos e fêmeas, com idade entre 11 e 24 anos, sendo que oito constituíram o grupo controle e nove o grupo doente. Todos os animais apresentavam resultados de leucogramas e determinações de fibrinogênio plasmático dentro da normalidade. O grupo controle foi constituído por animais cuja média da contagem diferencial de células nucleadas do lavado broncoalveolar (LBA) apresentou-se dentro da normalidade de acordo com MCGorum et al.(1993) e o grupo doente, segundo Hoffman (2003), caracterizou-se por infiltrado de neutrófilos (>5% e <25%) e de eosinófilos (>1%). Realizaram-se exames físicos, endoscópicos e mensurações da diferença de pressão intrapleural máxima (Ventigrafia). A análise das funções vitais e das mensurações da diferença de pressão intrapleural máxima permitiram verificar, ainda que dentro de valores fisiológicos, diferenças significativas apenas para a temperatura corpórea e freqüência cardíaca. Para os achados do exame físico do trato respiratório, não foi detectada diferença significativa entre os grupos. Em função dos resultados obtidos, a DIVA nos animais de policiamento examinados apresentou manifestações clínicas discretas, podendo ser considerada como quiescente.(AU)

The objective of this study was the clinical characterization of Inflammatory Airway Disease (IAD) in apparently healthy horses from the police force. Seventeen adult horses, 11 to 24 years old, of both genders, were used. The control group was formed by 8 animals, and the experimental group, by nine. Leukograms and plasma fibrinogen concentration were inside the normal range in all animals. The control group was formed by animals showing mean nucleated cell differential counts in their bronchoalvelar lavage (BAL) inside the normal range, according to MCGorum et al. (1993). The experimental group, according to Hoffman (2003), was characterized by neutrophil (>5% and <25%) and eosinophil (>1%) infiltrates. Horses were submitted to physical and endoscopic examinations, as well as measurement of maximum intrapleural pressure. Although results were in the normal range for the species, the analysis of vital functions and the difference in maximum intrapleural pressure showed significant differences only for body temperature and heart rates. No significant difference was observed between the two groups in the physical examination of the respiratory tract. Based on the results, IAD in animals from the police force showed discrete clinical signs, and the disease may be considered quiescent.(AU)

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