Autoimmune thyroiditis with systemic idiopathic fibrosis in horses

Abstract

Abstract The article deals with the autopsy materials of the Friesian breed domestic horse (Equus ferus caballus). It presents the research on tissues’ and organs’ histological examination as well as materials from the case record. New nosology for this species and breed has been revealed for the first time for the animal under examination. It was chronic inflammatory thyroid disease of the autoimmune genesis in the hyperthyroid stage which caused the systemic idiopathic fibrosis. Previously this nosology was neither revealed nor described in the Russian and foreign literature sources. The article presents materials from the case record where animal’s clinical condition has been assessed. The description of pathoanatomical and morphological changes in the thyroid tissues in the detected autoimmune thyroiditis and associated pathological processes in the organs and tissues of the studied animal was given. The systemic idiopathic fibrosis associated with thyroiditis condition was described. The features of the blood serum metabolic profile according to the enzymes content, substrates and minerals were presented. The assessment of the thyroid gland endocrine status of total thyroxine (tT4) and total triiodothyronine (tT3) has been made. The level of which was 184.0 nmol/l and 7.9 nmol/l respectively. The data indicating the presence of an autoimmune process in relation to thyroid antigens have been traced. The level of antibodies to thyroglobulin and antibodies to thyroperoxidase was 9.7 IU/ml and 98 IU/ml respectively.