title: The relationship between postpartum vaginal discharge symptoms and progesterone profile characteristics in lactating dairy cows in Denmark.
abstract: In this paper, the effect of clinical symptoms of uterine inflammation on progesterone profile characteristics was quantified in dairy cows. A continuous scale based on visual observation of vaginal discharge (the previously developed D-index) was used to describe the clinical symptoms. Progesterone profiles in milk were used to describe the ovarian cycles, and to determine the distinguishing features of these profiles, a multivariate statistical procedure (principal component analysis) was performed. Significant negative effects of the D-index were seen during the first and second postpartum ovarian cycles. The D-index had a significant effect on the shape of progesterone profiles and the length of the ovarian cycles but it only accounted for a small proportion of the variation in these ovarian cycle features. The D-index was not a significant risk factor for the length of postpartum anovulatory period in the present study.
authors.affiliation: Aarhus University, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Tjele, Denmark. justyna.gorzecka@agrsci.dk
authors.forename: Justyna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gorzecka
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Callesen
authors.forename: Kurt M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: Nicolas C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Friggens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000858:Anovulation / Q000662:veterinary; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D003718:Denmark; D030762:Estrous Cycle; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D019522:Vaginal Discharge / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone