Immunosenescence of the equine immune system

Abstract

It is widely recognized that advanced age is associated with alterations in immunological responses that likely contribute to increased morbidity and mortality in the elderly population. This decreased efficacy of the immune system with age is referred to as 'immunosenescence' and has been reported for a number of species. Similar age-related changes are seen in horses and are manifested as decreased responsiveness to vaccination in vivo and diminished proliferative responses to mitogens in vitro. The underlying mechanism responsible for these impaired immunological responses remains unknown. This paper reviews some of our recent findings on immunosenescence in horses. Recent results on the immune response of aged horses to vaccination with a novel recombinant influenza vaccine are also discussed.