Dr. Ryan's Geriatric Immunology presentation from Badger Veterinary Hospital's Caring for Your Geriatric Horse February 13, 2013 client education seminar.

1. Geriatric Immunology
Clare Ryan, DVM, PhD, DACVIM
Badger Veterinary Hospital
Client Education Seminar
February 7, 2013

2. Geriatric
 ≥ 20 years old

3. Equine Geriatric Population
 Maximum lifespan is
35-40 years
 15% of the equine
population over 20
years of age (1997)

4. “Age is not a disease”
 But with age come
some changes:
 Decline in body
condition and muscle
tone
 Changes to the
immune system can
lead to increased
infection

5. Immune System:
White Blood Cells
Neutrophils- eat invading organisms
Macrophages- eat invading organisms
Lymphocytes- make “memory” responses
http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/immunity/index.html

6. Immune System Signals: Cytokines
 Tell immune cells to ramp inflammation up or down

7. Immunization (Vaccination)

8. Immunizations Create
Immune System “Memory”

9. Immune System “Memory”

10. “Immunosenescence”
 A decline in immune function and immune
response that occurs with aging.
 Researchers believe immunosenescence
accounts for the increase in cancer and
infections such as influenza and pneumonia
in people of old age.

11. White Blood Cells in the Elderly
 Decreased numbers of
lymphocytes
 Decreased function of
lymphocytes

12. Immunization Responses in the Elderly
 Decreased response to immunization
 Decreased duration of immune response

13. Geriatric Horses
 Reduced response to immunization with
Rabies and Influenza vaccines

14. Vaccinating Geriatric Horses
 In the past, some people recommended not
vaccinating geriatric horses, or not
vaccinating them as frequently
 Geriatric horses need to be vaccinated!!

15. Supporting the Geriatric Immune
System
 Keep adequate (but not too high) body condition
 Adequate parasite control
 Reduce exposure to infection
 Minimize stress
 Vaccinate according to risk
 No proven benefit to using immune stimulants in
geriatric horses (yet)
 Nutrition

16. Questions?

17. Aging horses:
“Inflamm-aging”