Proteomic analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage Fluid in an equine model of asthma during a natural antigen exposure trial marybeth

Background Heaves is a complex, asthma-like respiratory disease that aNects many older horses. While environmental and genetic components to the disease have been proposed, the specific pathophysiology of heaves is still poorly understood. Using proteomic techniques, we compared the protein profile of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in the lungs of healthy horses and horses aNected with heaves. Methods Clinical signs of the disease were induced in heaves-aNected horses using an experimental hay exposure model. Samples of BALF were collected from all horses before and aSer the hay exposure trial. Mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to evaluate the diNerences in the global BALF peptide profile between the control and heaves-aNected horses. Tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to identify diNerentially expressed proteins in the two groups of horses. Ee identification of two proteins was validated with Western blot assays. Results fine hundred peptides were diNerentially expressed between healthy controls and heaves-aNected horses; 76 peptides were over-expressed in controls and 24 were over-expressed in heaves-aNected horses. Ee identifications of transferrin and secretoglobin were confirmed with Western blot. Conclusions Eis study demonstrates that proteomics can be used to compare the protein profiles of BALF from healthy and diseased horses. Eese techniques may prove helpful in determining the pathophysiology of complex diseases.