Two-way calf to dam major histocompatibility class I compatibility increases risk for retained placenta in cattle.
OBJECTIVE
In cattle, retained placenta (RP) is suggested to arise from failure of immune-mediated rejection of the fetal membranes by the maternal immune system and is associated with major histocompatibility (MHC) class I compatibility between calf and dam.


METHODS
To study the association between RP and different MHC class I compatibilities between calf-dam-granddam combinations, massively parallel pyrosequencing was used to determine the MHC class I haplotypes of cows with and without RP.


RESULTS
Two-way calf to dam MHC class I compatibility gave a high risk for RP. There was a tendency for a higher risk for RP with calf to dam MHC class I compatibility.


CONCLUSIONS
We concluded that in two-way compatible pregnancies, the maternal immune system fails to reject the fetal membranes, and the fetal immune system does not mount an immune response against maternal MHC class I antigens that could influence the immune-mediated rejection of the fetal membranes by the maternal immune system. The lack of immune-mediated rejection of the fetal membranes by the maternal immune system increases the risk of occurrence of RP.
Department of Farm Animal Health, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. l_dert@hotmail.com
Lindert
L
Benedictus
Aaron J
AJ
Thomas
Ruurd
R
Jorritsma
Christopher J
CJ
Davies
Ad P
AP
Koets
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005805:Genes, MHC Class I; D054502:Histocompatibility, Maternal-Fetal; D018457:Placenta, Retained / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011247:Pregnancy