Levels of horse allergen Equ c 4 in dander and saliva from ten horse breeds

BACKGROUND: Horses are an important source of allergens, but the distribution of horse allergens is poorly understood. Five horse allergens have been identified, Equ c 1-4 and 6. Equ c 4 seems to be an important allergen, with an IgE-binding frequency of 77% in horse-sensitized individuals. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate levels of horse allergen Equ c 4 in dander, saliva and urine from ten horse breeds. METHOD: The study population included 170 horses (87 mares, 27 stallions, 56 geldings) from ten breeds. Horse dander, saliva and urine samples were collected. Levels of horse allergen Equ c 4 were quantified using a two-site sandwich ELISA (mAb 103 and 14G4) and were expressed as Equ c 4 U/μg protein. RESULTS: The horse allergen Equ c 4 was present in all dander and saliva samples from ten horse breeds, with high within-breed and inter-breed variations; GM values were 639 Equ c 4 U/μg protein (range 5-15 264) for dander and 39.5 (4-263) for saliva. Equ c 4 was found in 19/21 urine samples. Adjusted for age, sex and changes over time, no differences between breeds could be seen in dander, while in saliva the North Swedish horse showed lower levels of Equ c 4 than any other breed. The levels of Equ c 4 protein in dander and saliva were significantly higher in samples from stallions compared to mares and geldings, independent of breed. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results show a high variability in allergen levels of Equ c 4 in dander and saliva both within and between breeds. Significantly higher levels were found in stallions compared to mares and geldings, independent of breed. Results suggest that none of the horse breeds studied can be recommended for individuals allergic to Equ c 4.