Special Issue "Reproductive Tract Inflammatory Disease in Postpartum Dairy Cows"

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Cattle".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Geert Opsomer
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Herd Health, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
Interests: dairy cow; transition period; systemic inflammation; innate immunity; reproductive diseases; embryo production
Dr. Osvaldo Bogado Pascottini
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Obstetrics, Reproduction and Herd Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiteit Gent, Ghent, Belgium
Interests: dairy cow; transition period; systemic inflammation; innate immunity; reproductive diseases; embryo production

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is a high risk of clinical or subclinical reproductive tract disease in the postpartum period in dairy cows. An integrated process of adaptive events should occur synchronously, including a robust but well-regulated immune response in the uterus. Failure of this process may result in reproductive tract inflammatory disease. Up to half of postpartum dairy cows are affected by metritis, purulent vaginal discharge, clinical endometritis, or subclinical endometritis.

The scope of this Special Issue includes reviews and original research papers focused on, but not limited to, diagnosis, risk factors, effects, and potential treatments for reproductive tract inflammatory diseases in postpartum dairy cows.

Prof. Geert Opsomer
Dr. Osvaldo Bogado Pascottini
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Dairy cow
  • Transition period
  • Reproductive disease
  • Metritis
  • Clinical endometritis
  • Vaginal discharge
  • Subclinical endometritis
  • Innate immunity
  • Inflammation

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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Article
Association between Anti-Müllerian Hormone Concentration and Inflammation Markers in Serum during the Peripartum Period in Dairy Cows
Animals 2021, 11(5), 1241; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11051241 - 26 Apr 2021
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Abstract
The relationships between changes in anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentration and various traits, including milk somatic cell counts (SCC), were evaluated. Blood samples were collected from 43 Holstein cows 14 days before (D-14) and 10 (D10) and 28 days after (D28) parturition, and vaginal [...] Read more.
The relationships between changes in anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentration and various traits, including milk somatic cell counts (SCC), were evaluated. Blood samples were collected from 43 Holstein cows 14 days before (D-14) and 10 (D10) and 28 days after (D28) parturition, and vaginal discharge score (VDS) and polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) percentages were assessed in endometrial samples at D28. Cows were separated into four quartiles (Q1–Q4) based on changes in AMH concentration during the peripartum period (AMH ratio: D28/D-14). Correlations between AMH ratio and each parameter were evaluated and classified into high-AMH (Q4, 1.83 ± 0.12, n = 11) and low-AMH (Q1, 0.83 ± 0.05, n = 11) groups. The AMH ratio was positively correlated with magnesium and non-esterified fatty acids levels, and the albumin/globulin ratio at D10 and D28, but negatively correlated with serum amyloid A (SAA) at D10. SAA and γ-globulin levels were significantly higher in the low-AMH group at D28. There was no significant difference in VDS, PMNL percentage, and milk SCC between the two groups. The decreasing AMH ratio from the prepartum to the postpartum period corresponds to high inflammation biomarker levels. Whether it subsequently affects the reproductive prognosis of postpartum cows needs further investigations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reproductive Tract Inflammatory Disease in Postpartum Dairy Cows)
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Article
Flow Cytometric Assessment of the Viability and Functionality of Uterine Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes in Postpartum Dairy Cows
Animals 2021, 11(4), 1081; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11041081 - 10 Apr 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 472
Abstract
Postpartum dairy cows experience impaired peripheral polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) functionality, which has been associated with reproductive tract inflammatory diseases. However, it has not been elucidated yet whether endometrial PMN functionality is (equally) impaired. We developed a method for endometrial PMN isolation and flow [...] Read more.
Postpartum dairy cows experience impaired peripheral polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) functionality, which has been associated with reproductive tract inflammatory diseases. However, it has not been elucidated yet whether endometrial PMN functionality is (equally) impaired. We developed a method for endometrial PMN isolation and flow cytometric assessment of their viability and functionality. We also evaluated PMN immunolabeling, using a specific bovine granulocyte marker, CH138A. Blood and endometrial cytobrush samples were collected in duplicate from seventeen clinically healthy Holstein-Friesian cows between 9 and 37 days in milk. The proportion of viable, apoptotic, and necrotic PMN in endometrial samples roughly ranged from 10 to 80%, indicating highly dynamic endometrial PMN populations in the postpartum uteri. Endometrial PMN functionality testing revealed that PMN immunolabeling increased the accuracy, although this protocol might influence the median fluorescence intensity of the sample. Phagocytosis seemed the most stable and reliable endometrial PMN function and could be assessed satisfactorily without prior CH138A immunolabeling. However, the interpretation of oxidative burst and intracellular proteolysis tests remains challenging. The correlation between peripheral and endometrial PMN functionality was poor. Further research is warranted to unravel the role of uterine PMN viability and functionality in bovine uterine health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reproductive Tract Inflammatory Disease in Postpartum Dairy Cows)
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Review

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Review
Effect of Endometrial Sampling Procedures on Subsequent Pregnancy Rate of Cattle
Animals 2021, 11(6), 1683; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061683 - 05 Jun 2021
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Abstract
Endometrial infections are a common cause of reproductive loss in cattle. Accurate diagnosis is important to reduce the economic losses caused by endometritis. A range of sampling procedures have been developed which enable collection of endometrial tissue or luminal cells or uterine fluid. [...] Read more.
Endometrial infections are a common cause of reproductive loss in cattle. Accurate diagnosis is important to reduce the economic losses caused by endometritis. A range of sampling procedures have been developed which enable collection of endometrial tissue or luminal cells or uterine fluid. However, as these are all invasive procedures, there is a risk that sampling around the time of breeding may adversely affect subsequent pregnancy rate. This systematic review compared the pregnancy rates (PR) of cattle which underwent uterine lavage (UL), cotton swab (CS), cytobrush (CB), cytotape (CT), or endometrial biopsy (EB) sampling procedures with those that were not sampled. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol, relevant databases, including Pubmed, Web of Science, CAB Abstracts, VetMed Resource–Ruminants, and Scopus, were searched. The outcome measured was the pregnancy rate after the collection of endometrial sample(s). Seven studies, involving a total of 3693 cows, fulfilled the inclusion criteria for the systematic review and allowed the comparison of PR between sampled (n = 1254) and non-sampled cows (n = 2409). The results of the systematic review showed that endometrial sampling procedures can be performed before breeding or shortly after insemination without adversely affecting pregnancy rates in cattle. However, further studies are needed to validate this information. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reproductive Tract Inflammatory Disease in Postpartum Dairy Cows)
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

1. Title: Effect Of Uterine Sampling Procedures On Subsequent Pregnancy Rate Of Cattle: A Systematic Review.
Authors: O Ramirez-Garzon1,*, R. Soares Magalhaes1,2 N Satake1, J Hill1, C Jimenez3, MK Holland1, M McGowan, R1.
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