- Published:
Equine Sarcoids. A Clinical and Epidemiological Study in Relation to Equine Leucocyte Antigens (ELA)
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 36, pages 223–236 (1995)
Abstract
Associations between clinical parameters of sarcoids and the equine leucocyte antigen system (ELA) were analysed for 120 Swedish horses. Median age of affected horses was 5.2 years, and the majority presented with solitary tumors between 2 and 5 cm in diameter and ventral abdomen was a predilection site. Clinical signs first appeared at a median age of 3.5 years, and sarcoids at different locations first appeared at different ages. Lesions at different sites differed in size, and multiple tumors, early onset, long duration, and older age all had an association with large size. Clinical manifestations of sarcoids and the association between certain ELA-specificities and early onset (A5) and increased recurrence rates after surgery (W13), in addition to increased prevalence (A3W13), strengthen further that some horses are inherently predisposed to sarcoid growth. Unassociated with any clinical parameters, one third of the untreated horses became free of sarcoids due to “spontaneous” regression, perhaps as a result of immune responses against the tumors. Seventy percent of the horses were treated (mostly by excision), and large size was the main parameter promoting treatment. Excision had no significant effect on possibly remaining sarcoids. Recurrence rate after first treatment was about 35%, with the majority of tumors recurring within 4 months. Early onset, long duration, large size, and localization to distal limbs all appeared to increase risk of recurrence. Early treatment, performed under general anesthesia in recumbency which permits wide excision and measures to avoid autoinoculation, significantly reduced recurrence rates.
References
Angelos J, Oppenheim Y, Rebhun W, Mohammed H, Antczak DF: Evaluation of breed as a risk factor for sarcoid and uveitis in horses. Anim. Genet. 1988, 19, (417–425).
Baker JR, Leyland A: Histological survey of tumours of the horse, with particular reference to those of the skin. Vet. Rec. 1975, 96, (243–249).
Bastianello SS: A survey on neoplasia in domestic species over a 40-year period from 1935 to 1974 in the Republic of South Africa IV. Ilimours occurring in Equidae. Onderstepoort J. vet. Res. 1983, 59, (91–96).
Broström H, Bredberg-Ràdén U, England JJ, Obel N, Perlmann P: Cell-mediated immunity in horses with sarcoid tumors against sarcoid cells in vitro. Amer. J. vet. Res. 1979, 40, (1701–1706).
Broström H, Fahlbrink E, Dubath M-L, Lazary S: Association between equine leucocyte antigens (ELA) and equine sarcoid tumors in the population of Swedish halfbreds and some of their families. Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol. 1988, 19, (215–223).
Cheevers WP, Fatemi-Nainie S, Anderson LW: Spontaneous expression of an endogenous retrovirus by the equine sarcoid-derived Mc-1 cell line. Amer. J. vet. Res. 1986, 47, (50–52).
Cotchin E: A general survey of tumours in the horse. Equine Vet. J. 1977, 9, (16–21).
Cotchin E, Baker-Smith J: Tumours in horses encountered in an abbatoir survey. Vet. Rec. 1975, 97, (339).
Diehl M, Vingerhoets M, Stornetta D: Spezifische Methoden zur Ernfernung des Equinen Sar-kodes (Specific methods for removing equine sarcoids). Prakt. Tierazt 1988, 69, (14–17).
England JJ, Watson RE, Larson KA: Virus-like particles in an equine sarcoid cell line. Amer. J. vet. Res. 1973, 34, (1601–1603).
Fretz PB, Barber SM: Prospective analysis of cryosurgery as the sole treatment for equine sarcoids. Vet.Clin. North Amer/Small Anim.Pract. 1980, 10, (847–859).
Ivascu I, Muresan GSE, Pápay Z: Clinical and pathological observations on 5 cases of equine sarcoidosis in Romania. Zbl. Vet. Med. 1974, 21, (815–823).
Jackson C: The incidence and pathology of tumours of domestic animals in South Africa. Onderstepoort J. Vet. Sei. Anim. Ind. 1936, 6, 241–248; 375-385; 429.
James VS: A family tendency to equine sarcoids. S. West Vet. 1968, 27, (235–236).
Kersjes AW, Ruitenberg EJ: Equine sarcoid: BCG immunotherapy compared to cryosurgery in a prospective randomized clinical trial. Cancer Immunol. Immunother. 1986, 27, (133–140).
Klein WR, Goosen EB, Misdorp W, Steerenberg PA, de Jong WH, Tiesjema RH, Lane JG: The treatment of equine sarcoids by cryosurgery. Equine Vet. J. 1977, 9, (127–133).
Knottenbelt DC, Walker JA: Topical treatment of the equine sarcoid. Equine vet. Educ. 1994, 6, (72–75).
Laursen BA: Behandling af equine sarcoider med kryokirurgi (Cryosurgery as treatment of equine sarcoids). Dansk Vet. Tidskr. 1987, 70, (97–104).
Lazary S, Antczak DF, Bailey E, Bell TK, Bernoco D, Byrns G, McClure JJ: Joint report of the fifth international workshop on lymphocyte alloantigens of the horse, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 31 October-lNovember 1987. Anim. Gen. 1988, 79, (447–456).
Lazary S, Gerber H, Glatt PA, Straub R: Equine leucocyte antigens in sarcoid-affected horses. Equine vet. J. 1985, 77, (283–286).
Lory S, Tscharner C, Marti E, Bestetti G, Grimm S, Waldvogel A: In situ hybridization of equine sarcoids with bovine papilloma virus. Vet Rec 1993, 132, (132–133).
Madewell BR, Theilen GH: Skin tumors of mesenchymal origin. In: Theilen GH, Madewell BR (Eds). Veterinary Cancer Medicine, (2nd ed). Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, 1987, pp. 282–309.
Marti E, Lazary S, Antczak DF, Gerber H: Report of the first international workshop on equine sarcoid. Equine vet. J. 1993, 25, (397–407).
Meridith D, Elser AH, Wolf B, Soma LR, Donawick WJ, Lazary S: Equine leucocyte antigens: Relationships with sarcoid tumors and laminitis in 2 pure breeds. Immunogen. 1986, 23, (221–225).
Miller R, Campbell RSF: A survey of granulomatous and neoplastic diseases of equine skin in north Queensland. Austr. vet. J. 1982, 59, (33–37).
Mohammed HO, Rebhun WC, Antczak DF: Factors associated with the risk of developing sarcoid tumours in horses. Equine vet. J. 1992, 24, (165–168).
Onion D: Tumor immunology. In: Theilen GH, Madewell BR (eds): Veterinary Cancer Medicine, 2nd ed. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, 1987, pp. 105–119.
Otten N, Tscharner C, Lazary S, Antczak DF, Gerber H: DNA of bovine papilloma virus type 1 and 2 in equine sarcoids: PCR detection and direct sequencing. Arch. Virol. 1993, 132, (121–131).
Pascoe RR: The nature of skin conditions observed in horses in Queensland. Austr. vet. J. 1973, 49, (35–40).
Pascoe RR: A Colour Atlas of Equine Dermatology. Wolfe Publishing Limited, London, 1990, pp. 75–83.
Ragland WL, Keown GH, Gorham JR: An epizootic of equine sarcoid. Nature, 1966, 210, 1399.
Ragland WL, Keown GH, Spencer GR: Equine sarcoid. Equine vet. J. 1970, 2, (2–11).
Raphel CF: Diseases of the equine eyelid. Comp. Cont. Educ. 1982, 4, (14–21).
Reid SWJ, Gettinby G, Fowler JN, Ikin P: Epidemiological observations on sarcoids in a population of donkeys (Equus asinus). Vet. Rec. 1994, 134, (207–211).
Roberts WD: Experimental treatment of equine sarcoid. Vet. Med/small Anim. Clin. 1970, 65, (67–73).
Schwartzmann SM, Cantrell JL, Ribi ER, Ward J: Immunotherapy of equine sarcoid with cell wall skeleton (CWS)-threhalose dimycolate (TDM) biologic. Equine Pract. 1984, 6, (13–23).
Stannard AA, Pulley LD: Tumors of the skin and soft tissues. In Moulton JE (Ed). Tumors in domestic animals, 2nd ed. Berkeley, University of California Press, 1978, pp. 16–74.
Sundberg JP, Burnstein T, Page EH, Kirkham WW, Robinson FR: Neoplasms of equidae. J. Amer, vet. med. Assoc. 1977, 170, (150–152).
Tallberg TH, Kinnunen RE, Palkama A, Saario EMK, Borgström G: Equine sarcoid successfully treated by Bio-Immunotherapy. Dtsch. Zschr. Onkol. 1994, 26, (34–40).
Theon AP, Pascoe JR, Carlson GP, Krag DN: Intratumoral chemotherapy with cisplatin in oily emulsions in horses. J. Amer. vet. med. Assoc. 1993, 262, (261–267).
Turrel JM, Stover SM, Gyorgfalvy J: Iridium-192 interstitial brachytherapy of equine sarcoid. Vet. Radiol. 1985, 26, (20–24).
Voss JL: Transmission of equine sarcoid. Amer. J. vet. Res. 1969, 56, (183–191).
Watson RE, Larson KA: Detection of tumor-specific antigens in an equine sarcoid cell line. Infect, and Immun. 1974, 9, (714–718).
Wilcock BP: Neoplastic diseases of skin and mammary gland. In: Jubb KVF, Kennel PC, Palmer N (eds): Pathology of domestic animals, (4th ed.). Academic Press Inc., San Diego, 1993, pp. 706–729.
Acknowledgments
I want to thank Drs. Peter Perlmann, Marita Troye-Blomberg and Àke Larsson at the Department of Immunology, University of Stockholm, and Dr. Berit Funkquist at the Department of Medicine and Surgery, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden, for their help and fruitful cooperation.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Broström, H. Equine Sarcoids. A Clinical and Epidemiological Study in Relation to Equine Leucocyte Antigens (ELA). Acta Vet Scand 36, 223–236 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03547691
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03547691