Abstract
Autohemotherapy (AHT) is a procedure in which blood is collected by venipuncture, followed by immediate reinjection to activate an animal’s immune system. In this preliminary study, we evaluated the effect of AHT on clinical, hematological and biochemical parameters and immune responses in horses. Eight healthy animals (four males and four females) were clinically evaluated and subjected to AHT (three applications at a weekly interval). Blood samples were collected before AHT (T0) and 3 d after each procedure (T1, T2, and T3). AHT did not affect most clinical, biochemical, and hematological parameters in the test animals. However, flow cytometry detected an increase in T lymphocytes (CD3+) and cytokine production (IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-4, and IL-6). In addition, AHT stimulated phagocytosis by neutrophils at T3. Although preliminary, our results suggest that AHT is a promising procedure for equine management, as AHT was found to stimulate the horses’ immune responses without affecting their general status.
Highlights
Autohemotherapy (AHT) was first reported in 1913 by doctors Ravaut and Spiethoff for treating dermatological diseases
We evaluated the effect of AHT on clinical, hematological and biochemical parameters and immune responses in horses
Flow cytometry detected an increase in T lymphocytes (CD3+) and cytokine production (IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-4, and IL-6)
Summary
Autohemotherapy (AHT) was first reported in 1913 by doctors Ravaut and Spiethoff for treating dermatological diseases. It is a low-cost therapeutic practice where autologous whole blood or serum is injected intramuscularly or subcutaneously (Ravaut, 1913; Spiethoff, 1913). This procedure is believed to help in the treatment of several diseases (Brewer, 2014); mechanisms underlying most immune responses to AHT remain unclear (Borges et al, 2014).
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