Jasinski, T. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2026

Evaluation of IGF1 and MKI67 mRNA expression in relation to histopathological features of equine endometrosis

Equine endometrosis is a major cause of subfertility in mares characterized by fibrotic remodeling of the endometrium. Present study evaluated endometrial relative abundance of mRNA transcript of IGF1, MKI67, TGFB1, and ACTA2 in relation to endometrosis severity and defined histopathological features. Forty-seven endometrial samples were graded according to the modified Kenney and Doig (KD) categories. Relative abundance of mRNA transcript was quantified by RT-qPCR and histopathology was extended using a standardized feature-based assessment. TGFB1 relative abundance of mRNA transcript was higher in category I+ than in category I and in samples with glandular basal lamina disruption. MKI67 relative abundance of mRNA transcript was lower in samples with luminal epithelial erosion. IGF1 relative abundance of mRNA transcript correlated negatively with KD category, glandular degeneration, overall inflammatory infiltration, lymphocytic infiltration, and neutrophilic infiltration. MKI67 correlated positively with ESR1. These findings indicate that early endometrosis-compatible lesions are associated with increased TGFB1 transcription and that epithelial damage is accompanied by reduced MKI67 abundance of mRNA. The inverse associations between IGF1 abundance of mRNA and both lesion severity and inflammatory infiltration support a link between histopathological changes and reduced expression of a growth factor.

pathology↗

bioRxiv2024

Accuracy of computed tomography in diagnosing temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis relative to histopathological findings - an ex-vivo study of 41 horses

Computed tomography (CT) is used to support the diagnosis of equine temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disease; however, its diagnostic accuracy remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between CT findings and histopathological manifestations of osteoarthritis (OA) in equine TMJs. 82 TMJs were CT-imaged, sampled, grouped into age-related and OA-related groups, and analyzed for frequency distributions, correlations, and CT-based TMJ OA diagnosis. CT findings were observed in 79% of joints, including CT anatomical variations considering to reflect age-related remodeling. Only 50% of joints showed co-occurrence of CT findings and histopathological manifestations of OA, confirming that not all CT findings are indicative of disease. Including all CT findings in the CT-based diagnosis of TMJ OA yielded a specificity of 0.41 (95% CI: 0.26-0.58), suggesting a high rate of false-positive diagnoses. Excluding all CT anatomical variations resulted in a sensitivity of 0.56 (95% CI: 0.40-0.72), indicating a substantial number of false-negative diagnoses. However, inclusion of specific CT anatomical variation - subchondral bone cysts - into the studied CT-based diagnosis increased sensitivity to 0.79 (95% CI: 0.62 to 0.89) while maintaining high specificity of 0.92 (95% CI: 0.80-0.98). Including this subset of CT findings in the diagnosis of equine TMJ OA may improve the accuracy of disease detection; however, the clinical relevance of the present cadaver investigation needs to be confirmed in in vivo studies.

pathology↗