Investigation of haematological, inflammatory and immunological response in naturally infected cattle with Theileria annulata

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to investigate haematological, pro‐inflammatory, inflammatory, anti‐inflammatory and immunological responses in naturally Theileria annulata‐infected cattle. The study material consisted of 25 Simmental cattle, 2–4 years of age, one of which was a control group consisting of healthy animals (Control group, n = 10), and the other was a Theileria group that include animals positive for Theileria annulata (Theileria group, n = 15). Haematological analysis (red blood cell [RBC], haemoglobin [HGB], haematocrit [HCT]), pro‐inflammatory (tumour necrosis factor‐α [TNF‐α], nuclear factor kappa B [NF‐ĸB] and interleukin‐1 beta, [IL‐1β]), inflammatory (neutrophil‐lymphocyte ratio [NLR]), anti‐inflammatory (interleukin‐10 [IL‐10]) and antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) analyses were performed by using ELISA kit from blood samples. It was found that the rectal temperature of the Theileria group was found to be significantly higher (p < .001) than that of the control group. Haematological and biochemical analysis revealed that the RBC and HGB count and HCT percentage decreased (p < .001), while NF‐ĸB (p < .001), TNF‐α (p = .002), IL‐1β (p < .001), IL‐10 (p = .012), NLR (p < .001) and CAMP (p = .037) levels increased in Theileria group compared to the control group. There was a strong correlation between NF‐ĸB and TNF‐α, NF‐ĸB and IL‐10, NLR and IL‐1β, NF‐ĸB and CAMP, TNF‐α and CAMP and IL‐10 and CAMP. As a result of this study, it was revealed that a pro‐inflammatory and immunological response also occurs along with the anti‐inflammatory response in the inflammatory process.