To determine the effects of puerperal metritis on the immune response, changes in the differential peripheral blood leukocyte counts were analyzed during the peripartum period in cows with or without metritis. Multiparous Holstein cows were examined for uterine health disorders and classified into two groups: healthy (n = 11) or metritis (n = 5) cows. The lymphocyte and monocyte counts and the proportion of CD8(+) lymphocytes were higher in cows with metritis compared to healthy cows. Moreover, the effects of puerperal metritis on the lymphocyte counts and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio persisted weeks after the uterine inflammation had self-resolved. Taken together, the findings of the present study indicate the possible long-term alterations of systemic immune responses in cows with puerperal uterine inflammation.
In dairy cows, retained fetal membranes (RFM) affect reproductive performance. The aim of this study was to examine the leukocyte counts and the gene expression of tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-8, and IL-10 in polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in cows with (n = 5) or without (n = 5) RFM during the peripartum period. The lymphocyte counts in RFM cows were higher than those in control cows throughout the experiment (p < .05). The expression of IL-8 in PMNs of control cows was higher (p < .05) compared with that of RFM cows postpartum. In cows with RFM, IL-1β expression was higher (p < .05) in PMNs at 6 weeks postpartum whereas the expression of IL-1β was lower (p < .05) in PBMCs at 4 weeks postpartum. The expression of IL-10 in PBMCs of control cows was higher (p < .05) than that of RFM cows at 2 weeks prepartum and 4 weeks postpartum. Taken together, our data indicate that changes of gene expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in RFM cows might be associated with the delayed placental separation and development of uterine inflammation in RFM cows.
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