Morini Maria, Gobbo Francesca, Rinnovati Riccardo, Romagnoli Noemi, Peli Angelo, Massarenti Chiara, Spadari Alessandro, Pietra Marco
Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Ozzano dell'Emilia, 40064 Bologna, Italy.
Department for Life Quality Studies, University of Bologna, Rimini Campus, 47921 Rimini, Italy.
Vet Sci. 2023 Aug 16;10(8):527. doi: 10.3390/vetsci10080527.
Equine asthma is a common respiratory disease that may affect horses of any age. The diagnosis of severe equine asthma (SEA) (historically referred as recurrent airway obstruction or RAO) is based mainly on the history of the animal and clinical signs, which are further supported by the cytological examination of the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). This can also be helpful in monitoring the inflammation of the lower airways in response to environmental management and medication. The cytocentrifugated preparation is usually considered the method of choice for BAL cytological interpretation. The aim of this study was to compare the results in terms of differential cell counts (DCC) in BAL cytology performed on sedimented smears and cytocentrifugated preparations. To carry this out, 48 BAL samples were collected from six horses with SEA that were subjected to a process of exacerbation of the disease by environmental stimuli, which was later followed by the appropriate treatment. Each collected BAL fluid was equally divided into duplicate portions: one processed by cytocentrifugation and one by sediment smear from simple centrifugation. Cytologic examination of all BAL by both methods showed poor concordance in DCC, although it was still able to allow diagnostic recognition of severe lung neutrophilic disorders. These results suggest that sediment smear preparation, although remaining a useful method in general equine practice associated with clinical assessments in the diagnosis of SEA under conditions where there is no possibility of using a cytocentrifuge, cannot be considered a comparable alternative.
马哮喘是一种常见的呼吸道疾病，可能影响任何年龄的马匹。重度马哮喘（SEA）（历史上称为复发性气道阻塞或RAO）的诊断主要基于动物的病史和临床症状，并通过支气管肺泡灌洗（BAL）的细胞学检查进一步支持。这对于监测下呼吸道对环境管理和药物治疗的炎症反应也很有帮助。细胞离心涂片通常被认为是BAL细胞学解读的首选方法。本研究的目的是比较在沉淀涂片和细胞离心涂片上进行的BAL细胞学检查中细胞分类计数（DCC）的结果。为此，从6匹患有SEA的马身上采集了48份BAL样本，这些马因环境刺激而病情加重，随后接受了适当治疗。每个采集的BAL液均分成两份：一份通过细胞离心法处理，一份通过简单离心的沉淀涂片法处理。两种方法对所有BAL进行的细胞学检查在DCC方面显示出较差的一致性，尽管它仍然能够诊断严重的肺部嗜中性粒细胞疾病。这些结果表明，沉淀涂片制备虽然在一般马医学实践中仍然是一种有用的方法，在无法使用细胞离心机的情况下与SEA诊断中的临床评估相关，但不能被视为一种可比的替代方法。
