Analysis of Circulating Immune Complexes in the Serum of Clinically Healthy Horses

The aim of this study was to determine the level of circulating immune complexes (CIC) in equine serum and the electrophoretic properties of the protein fraction thereof. The study was carried out using 42 clinically healthy breeding horses of noble half-blood. The average extinction value of CIC's in equine serum was E450 nm = 0.278 ± 0.09 nm. Generally, 23 protein fractions were identified in the molecular mass range between 294 and 25 kDa. Eight fractions whose molecular masses were 137, 72, 65, 52, 42, 32, 28, and 26 kDa, respectively, appeared in all analyzed samples. In 20 of the analyzed serum an additional nine protein fractions whose molecular masses were 260, 110, 84, 78, 67, 62, 57, 45, and 39 kDa, respectively, were identified. Circulating immune complexes are a source of information about immunologic processes that take place in mammals. Determining the average values of CIC levels and identifying the electrophoretic profile of proteins in clinically healthy horses could be useful in research and diagnostics.