Immune responses during the peripartum period in dairy cows with postpartum endometritis

• Published in: Journal of Reproduction and Development Vol. 51; no. 6; pp. 757 - 764
• Main Authors: Kim, I.H.(Chungbuk National Univ., Cheongju (Korea R.)), Na, K.J, Yang, M.P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan THE SOCIETY FOR REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT 01.12.2005
• Subjects: Animals; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - immunology; CITOQUINAS; CYTOKINE; CYTOKINES; DAIRY COWS; Dairying; ENDOMETRITE; ENDOMETRITIS; Endometritis - immunology; Endometritis - veterinary; FAGOCITOSIS; Female; IMMUNE RESPONSE; LEUCOCITOS; LEUCOCYTE; LEUKOCYTES; Leukocytes - immunology; Leukocytes - metabolism; PERINATAL PERIOD; PERIODE PERINATALE; PERIODO PERINATAL; Phagocytic capacity; PHAGOCYTOSE; PHAGOCYTOSIS; Phagocytosis - immunology; Postpartum Period - immunology; Pregnancy; REPONSE IMMUNITAIRE; RESPUESTA INMUNOLOGICA; TNFα; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - metabolism; VACAS LECHERAS; VACHE LAITIERE
• ISSN: 0916-8818; 1348-4400
• DOI: 10.1262/jrd.17036

Determining the immune responses to the development of endometritis during the peripartum period may assist in the development of more efficient reproductive management regimens for dairy herds. In this study, we compared the peripartum immune responses of dairy cows that develop endometritis by 4 weeks postpartum (n=11) to cows that did not develop this disease (n=19). Blood samples were collected I week before calving, just after or during calving, and then at weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4 postpartum. Cows that developed endometritis had significantly higher total leukocyte, eutrophic, Lymphocyte, and monocyte counts than the control cows (P0.05) at all time points. The leukocytes from cows that developed endometritis were significantly less phagocytic than those from control cows at all sampling time points (P0.01). The serum TNFalpha concentrations of the control cows decreased linearly from the peripartum time point (P0.05). As a result, the serum TNFalpha concentrations were greater in the endometritis group (P0.01) than in the control group during the third and fourth weeks postpartum. The greater total leukocyte numbers and neutrophil, lymphocyte and monocyte counts, and the maintenance of elevated serum TNFalpha levels in the cows with endometritis may be due to infection in the postpartum period. Furthermore, the decreased phagocytic capacity of leukocytes during the peripartum period, including at the peripartum time point, makes cows more susceptible to postpartum endometritis.