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Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Human Egg Maturity Assessment and Its Clinical Application
Published on: August 19, 2019
Fecal strongyle egg counts in horses with suspected pre-clinical pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction before and
Garance Christen1, Vinzenz Gerber1, Johannes Hermanus van der Kolk1
1Swiss Institute of Equine Medicine, University of Bern and Agroscope, Länggassstrasse 124, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) has been associated with diminished immune response in aged horses. This prospective study hypothesised that this may result in increased strongyle egg shedding in affected animals and that horses treated with pergolide would have reduced fecal egg counts (eggs per gram, EPG) compared to placebo-treated animals. Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentrations and EPG were tested in 48 horses. There were no significant differences in baseline EPG between horses with pre-clinical PPID and healthy controls. There was no significant difference in EPG between horses with PPID after treatment with pergolide and placebo-treated animals. Using EPG as a marker of immune function, these results did not support a proposed decrease in immune function in horses with pre-clinical PPID.
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