EVALUATION OF INTRADERMAL MOLD ANTIGEN TESTING IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF EQUINE CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY-DISEASE

Intradermal end-point titres for commercial aqueous extracts of Microp olyspora faeni, Thermoactinomyces vulgaris and Aspergillus fumigatus w ere determined in control and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (C OPD) affected horses. The intradermal end-point titres of control and COPD-affected horses were not significantly different and values for i ndividual horses for M. faeni, A. fumigatus and T. vulgaris were not c orrelated with the pulmonary dysfunction for with the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid neutrophilia which had been induced by previous inhalatio n challenges with these antigens and by 'natural (hay and straw) chall enges'. These findings' suggest divergence of the dermal and pulmonary reactivities to M. faeni, 4. fumigatus and T. vulgaris in the horse a nd indicate that intradermal mould antigen testing is of limited value in the investigation of equine COPD.