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The emergence of epizootic rabbit enteropathy is leading to changes in weaning protocols in 25 commercial rabbitries. Traditional weaning protocols are being replaced with late weaning, 26 beyond 35 days postpartum (dpp). The main objectives of this study were to compare the 27 peripheral blood lymphocyte populations of multiparous rabbit does under two reproductive 28 rhythms (insemination at 11 dpp and weaning at 28 dpp, insemination at 25 dpp and weaning 29 at 42 dpp), and to assess the influence on those of kits. Samples of peripheral blood were taken 30 in 22 adult females and 44 of their kits at different critical times, and several lymphocytic 31 populations were evaluated by flow cytometry. Additionally, the perirenal fat thickness of does 32 was also measured at partum and weaning to observe if body condition correlates with 33 lymphocyte populations. During whole lactation, counts of total, T, CD4 + and CD8 + 34 lymphocytes of females were generally lower with weaning at 42 dpp compared to 28 dpp. 35Moreover, counts of total, B and T lymphocytes in rabbit does weaned at 42 dpp correlated to 36 their body condition (+0.60 to 0.82; P<0.05), contrary to that observed in rabbit does weaned 37 at 28 dpp. Some correlations between lymphocyte counts in both does and weaning rabbits 38 were observed. At weaning, those young rabbits weaned at 42 dpp had a significantly lower 39 number of CD4 + lymphocytes than those weaned at 28 dpp (P<0.01). In conclusion, longer 40 lactation periods and major accumulated wear under prolonged reproduction rhythms could be 41 interpreted as a minor immunological level for adult rabbit does.

ObjectiveTo identify plasma markers predictive of therapeutic response in patients with multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).MethodsFifty HIV-negative patients with active pulmonary MDR-TB were analysed for six soluble analytes in plasma at the time of initiating treatment (baseline) and over six months thereafter. Patients were identified as sputum culture positive or negative at baseline. Culture positive patients were further stratified by the median time to sputum culture conversion (SCC) as fast responders (< 76 days) or slow responders (≥ 76 days). Chest X-ray scores, body mass index, and sputum smear microscopy results were obtained at baseline.ResultsUnsupervised hierarchical clustering revealed that baseline plasma levels of IP-10/CXCL10, VEGF-A, SAA and CRP could distinguish sputum culture and cavitation status of patients. Among patients who were culture positive at baseline, there were significant positive correlations between plasma levels of CRP, SAA, VEGF-A, sIL-2Rα/CD40, and IP-10 and delayed SCC. Using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and Receiver Operating Curves (ROC), we showed that a combination of MCP-1/CCL2, IP-10, sIL-2Rα, SAA, CRP and AFB smear could distinguish fast from slow responders and were predictive of delayed SCC with high sensitivity and specificity.ConclusionPlasma levels of specific chemokines and inflammatory markers measured before MDR-TB treatment are candidate predictive markers of delayed SCC. These findings require validation in a larger study.