title: Peripheral blood leukocytes of cows with subclinical endometritis show an altered cellular composition and gene expression.
abstract: Subclinical endometritis (SCE) is an important postpartum disease in dairy cows, but conventional cytobrush diagnosis often gives imprecise results. The aim of this study was to analyze disease-associated changes in peripheral blood as potential diagnostic parameters. Cellular subpopulations of blood leukocytes from cows with or without SCE (45-55 days postpartum) were flow-cytometrically quantified. Gene expression of whole blood leukocytes was assessed by PAXgene analysis. Subclinical endometritis cows showed significantly higher number of blood mononuclear cells and neutrophils. Among mononuclear cells, numbers of B-cells, NK-cells, and CD172a-positive monocytes were significantly elevated. Compared with non-SCE cows, blood leukocytes of SCE cows significantly expressed higher copy numbers of CXCL8, TNF, and IL12. To test whether circulating plasma factors are responsible for these changes, leukocytes, polymorphonuclear cells, and monocyte subpopulations (classical, intermediate, nonclassical) of healthy cows were stimulated with plasma of SCE and non-SCE cows. Although gene expression of whole leukocytes and polymorphonuclear cells remained unaltered, plasma from SCE animals significantly elevated expressed messenger RNA copy numbers of CXCL8, CXCL1, and IL1B in intermediate monocytes. In conclusion, elevated number of selected mononuclear subpopulations in peripheral blood and enhanced expression of distinct genes encoding for inflammatory mediators in blood leukocytes reflect the subclinical uterine inflammatory process in cows. Whether the observed changes in the periphery of SCE cows are the consequence of the uterine inflammatory process, or whether they affect the pathogenesis of the disease is currently unknown.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Unit, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Düvel
authors.affiliation: Immunology Unit, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maaß
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Cattle, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Maike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heppelmann
authors.affiliation: Immunology Unit, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Jamal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hussen
authors.affiliation: Immunology Unit, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Mirja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koy
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Cattle, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piechotta
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR1198 Biologie du Développement et Reproduction, Jouy-en-Josas, France; Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort (ENVA), Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sandra
authors.affiliation: Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK; Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Midlothian, UK.
authors.forename: David G E
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Institute of Life Science, School of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
authors.forename: Iain Martin
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Sheldon
authors.affiliation: Zoetis, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dieuzy-Labaye
authors.affiliation: Zoetis, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zieger
authors.affiliation: Immunology Unit, University of Veterinary Medicine, Foundation, Hannover, Hannover, Germany. Electronic address: joachim.schuberth@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hans Joachim
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Schuberth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D004716:Endometritis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D012313:RNA; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D012313:RNA
keywords: Cattle; Monocyte; Subclinical endometritis