PRIMARY, SEVERE, COMBINED IMMUNODEFICIENCY DISEASE OF ARABIAN FOALS

Abstract

SUMMARY: Set in a context of immunodeficiency diseases in general this paper provides a brief, illustrated review of a primary, severe, combined immunodeficiency (PSCID) disease of Arabian foals. Affected foals are clinically normal at birth but beginning at about 10 days of age they develop a range of clinical signs particularly bronchopneumonia and diarrhoea with which adenoviruses are peculiarly associated. Despite intensive therapy foals invariably die by about 3 months of age. Affected foals are profoundly lymp***hopaenic (<1000 lymphocytes per mm3). There is thymic and lymph node hypoplasia and all lymphoid tissues are profoundly depleted of both T and B lymphocytes. The depletion of b..