Leukocyte emigration in the early stages of laminitis

The mechanisms that initiate the pathophysiologic changes in the digital laminae in equine laminitis are poorly understood. Due to the fact that (1) the horse at risk of laminitis has many similarities clinically to the human sepsis patient and (2) our recent finding of marked laminar proinflammatory cytokine expression at the developmental time point of the black walnut extract (BWE) model of laminitis, we tested the possibility that, similar to organ damage in human sepsis, leukocyte emigration is an early event in laminitis. Using immunoperoxidase methods with an anti-equine CD13 monoclonal antibody that recognizes neutrophils and monocytes, we discovered that, whereas the dermal microvasculature of the skin commonly has a marginal pool of leukocytes, the normal laminar dermal microvasculature has minimal to no perivascular leukocytes. However, increases in leukocyte numbers occurred around the dermal vasculature of both the laminae and the skin in the majority of BWE-treated horses in the developmental stage and at the onset of clinical signs of lameness in the BWE model. These findings indicate that, similar to organ failure in human sepsis, leukocyte emigration is likely to play a significant role in initiating numerous pathophysiologic mechanisms that lead to the development of laminitis.