title: Grazing dairy cows had decreased interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor, and interleukin-17, and increased expression of interleukin-10 during the first week after calving.
abstract: Peripartum, and especially during the transition period, dairy cows undergo dramatic physiological changes. These coincide with an increased risk of disease during the first 2 wk after calving and have been linked to dairy cows failing to achieve production as well as reproductive targets. Previous evidence suggests that these physiological changes affect the immune system and that transition dairy cows experience some form of reduced immunocompetence. However, almost all of these studies were undertaken in high-production, housed dairy cows. Grazing cows have much lower levels of production and this study aimed to provide clarity whether or not the dysfunctional attributes of the peripartum immune system reported in high production housed cows are evident in these animals. Therefore, cell culture techniques, flow cytometry, and quantitative PCR were applied to analyze the cellular composition of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from transition dairy cows as well as the performance of these cells in an in vitro assay. First, a combination of in vitro stimulation and quantitative PCR for cytokines was validated as a quantifiable immunocompetence assay in 29 cattle and a correlation of quantitative PCR and ELISA demonstrated. Second, the relative number of T helper cells, cytotoxic T cells, B cells, γδ T cells, natural killer cells, and monocytes in peripheral blood was measured, of which B cells and natural killer cells increased in number postcalving (n=29) compared with precalving. Third, following in vitro stimulation cytokine profiles indicated decreased expression of IFNγ, tumor necrosis factor, and IL-17 and increased expression of IL-10 wk 1 after calving, which later all returned to precalving values (n=39). Additionally, treatment of transition cows with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (i.e., carprofen) administered on d 1, 3, and 5 postcalving (n=19; untreated control n=20) did not affect the cytokine expression at any time point. In conclusion, an immunocompetence assay has been developed that highlights a characteristic expression pattern for IFNγ, tumor necrosis factor, IL-17, and IL-10 that reflects a state of reduced immunocompetence in moderate-yielding pasture-based transition cows after calving, which is similar to that described for higher-yielding housed cows.
authors.affiliation: AgResearch, Hopkirk Research Institute, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North, New Zealand 4442. Electronic address: axel.heiser@agresearch.co.nz.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heiser
authors.affiliation: AgResearch, Hopkirk Research Institute, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North, New Zealand 4442.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.affiliation: AgResearch, Hopkirk Research Institute, Grasslands Research Centre, Palmerston North, New Zealand 4442.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wedlock
authors.affiliation: DairyNZ Limited, Private Bag 3221, Hamilton, New Zealand 3240.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.affiliation: DairyNZ Limited, Private Bag 3221, Hamilton, New Zealand 3240.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.affiliation: DairyNZ Limited, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand 1010.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: DairyNZ Limited, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand 1010.
authors.forename: Mallory A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Crookenden
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, Centre for Clinical Research, Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital Campus, Herston, Queensland 4029, Australia.
authors.forename: Murray D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: DairyNZ Limited, Private Bag 3221, Hamilton, New Zealand 3240.
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: DairyNZ Limited, Private Bag 3221, Hamilton, New Zealand 3240.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801.
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Loor
authors.affiliation: DairyNZ Limited, Private Bag 3221, Hamilton, New Zealand 3240.
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Roche
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000502:physiology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma
keywords: immunity; immunocompetence; peripartum period; transition cow