Search Results (20)

This study was designed to explore the potential of infrared thermography (IRT) as an alternate approach for early pregnancy diagnosis in buffaloes. The surface temperature (ST) of different regions (eyes, muzzle, flanks, and vulva) was determined in 27 buffaloes using IRT from the day of artificial insemination (AI; Day 0), and measurement was repeated every fourth day until Day 24 post-AI. From all regions, the ST in each thermograph was recorded at three temperature values (maximum, average, minimum). Pregnancy status was confirmed through ultrasonography on Day 30, and animals were retrospectively grouped as pregnant or non-pregnant for analysis of thermographic data. In pregnant buffaloes, all three values of ST were significantly greater (p ≤ 0.05) for the left flank, while, in the left eye and vulva, only the maximum and average values were significantly greater. By contrast, the maximum ST of the muzzle was significantly lower (p ≤ 0.05) in pregnant buffaloes compared to non-pregnant buffaloes. However, the ST of the right eye and right flank did not show significant temperature variation at any value. These findings suggest that IRT has the potential to identify thermal changes associated with pregnancy in buffaloes at an early stage. Full article

The aim of this study was to investigate the interferon tau (IFNt) concentration in the peripheral maternal blood during the early phase of pregnancy in buffalo cows and improve the knowledge on the physiological importance of circulating IFNt, evaluating the possible interaction with pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs) and progesterone (P4). Blood samples were taken from buffalo cows on day 0 (day of AI), 7, 14, 18, 28, and 40 post insemination for the IFNt, PAG, and P4 analysis and to determine the IFNt mRNA expression. The animals were categorized ex post into Pregnant, Non-pregnant and Embryo mortality groups. The interferon value was influenced by group (p = 0.003), being always higher in pregnant buffalo cows than in non-pregnant ones, while the embryo mortality group showed intermediate values between those for pregnant and non-pregnant animals. The mRNA expression of IFNt was not influenced by groups or any time points. The regression analysis that included IFNt as the independent variable showed that PAGs, from day 18 (p < 0.01), and P4, from day 28 (p < 0.05), were positively associated with IFNt values. The close associations among IFNt, PAGs and P4 demonstrate that all three molecules work together for fetal–placental well-being and pregnancy support. Unfortunately, the great individual variability in circulating IFNt makes this analysis unsuitable for early pregnancy diagnosis. Full article

This study evaluated a commercial pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs)-based pregnancy test using whole blood or plasma samples during early pregnancy (28–55 days of gestation) in high-producing dairy cows. Transrectal ultrasonography was used as the gold standard method. The study population constituted of 284 cows. False positive diagnoses were recorded from Day 60 to 89 and from Day 60 to 99 postpartum in blood and plasma samples, respectively. In early pregnancy screening, correct positive diagnoses were recorded in 75% and 100% of blood and plasma samples, respectively. High milk production was associated with negative results in blood samples and with the lowest test line intensity in plasma samples. False positive or negative diagnoses were recorded in 0% of both types of samples in cows previously diagnosed as pregnant and showing signs of estrus. In conclusion, the use of plasma was more effective than the use of blood in early pregnancy diagnosis. In cows previously diagnosed as pregnant and showing signs of estrus, both types of samples showed the same results. Because of large individual variations, normal single pregnancies could not be differentiated from twin pregnancies, from pregnancies with a recently dead conceptus, or from pregnancies that experienced subsequent pregnancy loss. Full article

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) were investigated as biomarkers for the diagnosis of early pregnancy in cattle. The levels of prospective miRNA biomarkers and the features of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the blood were evaluated. In Study 1, plasma samples from cows 21 days after artificial insemination (AI) were examined using RT-qPCR to determine the levels of seven circulating miRNAs. Only the levels of miR-126-3p were significantly lower in the pregnant group than in the non-pregnant group. In Study 2, among individuals not pregnant at the first AI, the miRNA levels were compared between the individuals pregnant at the second AI and those who remained non-pregnant. The miR-25 levels were significantly higher in the pregnant group at the second AI than in the pregnant group at the first AI; miR-19b, miR-27b, and miR-29a levels were also high. In the non-pregnant group, changes were absent in the miRNA levels in the same individual between the first and second AIs. In Study 3, Western blotting and RT-qPCR showed the presence of miRNAs in EVs and their levels were lower than in plasma. Thus, circulating miR-126-3p may serve as a biomarker for the diagnosis of early pregnancy in cattle. In addition, the expression of some miRNAs tended to be higher during pregnancy than during non-pregnancy in the same individual, suggesting their potential as an index to determine pregnancy and non-pregnancy rates using a comparative method. Full article

The most reliable methods for pregnancy diagnosis in dairy herds include rectal palpation, ultrasound examination, and evaluation of plasma progesterone concentrations. However, these methods are expensive, labor-intensive, and invasive. Thus, there is a need to develop a practical, non-invasive, cost-effective method that can be implemented on the farm to detect pregnancy. This study suggests employing microwave dielectric spectroscopy (MDS, 0.5–40 GHz) as a method to evaluate reproduction events in dairy cows. The approach involves the integration of MDS data with information on milk solids to detect pregnancy and identify early embryonic loss in dairy cows. To test the ability to predict pregnancy according to these measurements, milk samples were collected from (i) pregnant and non-pregnant randomly selected cows, (ii) weekly from selected cows (n = 12) before insemination until a positive pregnancy test, and (iii) daily from selected cows (n = 10) prior to insemination until a positive pregnancy test. The results indicated that the dielectric strength of Δε and the relaxation time, τ, exhibited reduced variability in the case of a positive pregnancy diagnosis. Using principal component analysis (PCA), a clear distinction between pregnancy and nonpregnancy status was observed, with improved differentiation upon a higher sampling frequency. Additionally, a neural network machine learning technique was employed to develop a prediction algorithm with an accuracy of 73%. These findings demonstrate that MDS can be used to detect changes in milk upon pregnancy. The developed machine learning provides a broad classification that could be further enhanced with additional data. Full article

The diagnosis of ewes’ pregnancy status at an early stage is an efficient way to enhance the reproductive output of sheep and allow producers to optimize production and management. The techniques of proteomics and metabolomics have been widely used to detect regulatory factors in various physiological processes of animals. The aim of this study is to explore the differential metabolites and proteins in the serum of pregnant and non-pregnant ewes by proteomics and metabolomics. The serum of ewes at 21, 28 and 33 days after artificial insemination (AI) were collected. The pregnancy stratus of the ewes was finally determined through ultrasound examination and then the ewes were grouped as Pregnant (n = 21) or N on-pregnant (n = 9). First, the serum samples from pregnant or non-pregnant ewes at 21 days after AI were selected for metabolomic analysis. It was found that the level of nine metabolites were upregulated and 20 metabolites were downregulated in the pregnant animals (p < 0.05). None of these differential metabolomes are suitable as markers of pregnancy due to their small foldchange. Next, the proteomes of serum from pregnant or non-pregnant ewes were evaluated. At 21 days after AI, the presence of 321 proteins were detected, and we found that the level of three proteins were upregulated and 11 proteins were downregulated in the serum of pregnant ewes (p < 0.05). The levels of serum amyloid A (SAA), afamin (AFM), serpin family A member 6 (SERPINA6) and immunoglobulin-like domain-containing protein between pregnant and non-pregnant ewes at 21-, 28- and 33-days post-AI were also analyzed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The levels of SAA and AFM were significantly higher in pregnant ewes than in non-pregnant ewes, and could be used as markers for early pregnancy detection. Overall, our results show that SAA and AFM are potential biomarkers to determine the early pregnancy status of ewes. Full article

Pregnancy diagnosis during early gestation is important for cattle reproduction. The expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) was studied in embryo-transferred (ET) Japanese Black cattle. ISGs in PBLs—ISG15, MX1, MX2, and OAS1—were detected in multiple ovulation ET cattle using a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed. Gestational status was predicted using the average ISG levels during the normal estrous cycle (AVE) and the Youden index from the ROC curve analysis as cutoff values. The ISG15, MX1, and MX2 levels were significantly higher in pregnant cattle (n = 10) than in non-pregnant cattle (n = 23) on gestation day 21, whereas the levels of all ISGs were similar between non-pregnant and non-pregnant cattle with late embryonic death (n = 7). ISG15, MX1, and MX2 appropriately predicted the gestational status of ET cows. The statistical evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy in ET cows on day 21 of gestation presented higher values of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive predictive values of ISG15, MX1, and MX2 using the Youden index than using the AVE. Therefore, ISG15, MX1, and MX2 are excellent biomarkers of gestational status during the peri-implantation period in ET cattle. Full article

Background: Adiponectin, adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP), and fibroblast growth factor-19 (FGF-19) belong to proteins involved in glucose metabolism regulation. The aims of the study were to compare the plasma levels of these proteins in women with early diagnosed gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) to those in healthy controls and to investigate their changes during pregnancy after early intervention. Methods: The study was undertaken as a case-control study. Early GDM diagnosis was based on repeated fasting plasma glucose ≥5.1 and <7.0 mmol/L during the first trimester of pregnancy and exclusion of overt diabetes. Age-matched controls comprised healthy pregnant and non-pregnant women. In addition to adipokines, clinical parameters and measures of glucose control were assessed. Results: Women with GDM (n = 23) had significantly lower adiponectin and higher A-FABP levels compared to healthy pregnant (n = 29) or non-pregnant (n = 25) controls, while no significant differences in FGF-19 between the groups were found. The therapeutic intervention shifted adiponectin and A-FABP levels in GDM women towards concentrations of healthy pregnant controls. Adipokines were associated with visceral adiposity and glucose control. Conclusion: Women with GDM showed altered adipokine production even in the first trimester of pregnancy. Early therapeutic intervention not only improved glucose control but also normalized impaired adipokine production. Full article

The hypertensive pregnant woman is at a higher risk of complications either before, during or after birth and the baby can be adversely affected leading to preterm birth, low birth weight, placental separation (abruption) and other complications. The aim of the study was to evaluate thyroid dysfunction among pregnant women with hypertension. The study participants were 150 hypertensive pregnant women, 25 non-hypertensive pregnant women and 25 non-hypertensive non-pregnant women. Exactly 5mL of blood was collected and used for the assay of triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. Data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tools. The results showed a significantly higher (p < 0.05) age among hypertensive pregnant women when compared with non-hypertensive pregnant women and non-hypertensive non-pregnant women. The serum TSH was significantly higher (p < 0.035) among hypertensive pregnant women when compared with non-hypertensive pregnant women. The triiodothyronine (T3) of hypertensive pregnant women was observed to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) when compared with both non-hypertensive pregnant women and non-hypertensive non-pregnant women. Some 15/150 (10%) of hypertensive pregnant women had subclinical hypothyroidism, 13/150 (8.7%) had overt hypothyroidism, while 122/150 (81.3%) were euthyroid. Among those with thyroid dysfunction, five and four of the subjects had subclinical hypothyroidism and overt hypothyroidism during the second trimester, while ten and nine had subclinical hypothyroidism and overt hypothyroidism during the third trimester, respectively. Evaluation of hypertensive pregnant women for thyroid function may be routinely performed to enable early diagnosis and treatment. Full article

Pregnancy rates of Holstein cows showed a substantial decline in the past years, which caused intensive TAI programs for nonpregnant cows to shorten the period between unsuccessful insemination and the next attempt on the same cow. Although many studies examined the improvement in pregnancy rates following TAI, only a few examined the economic impact of such programs. In this study, we look at the feasibility of reproductive programs that included early pregnancy diagnosis performed by transrectal ultrasonography 25 days after artificial insemination (AI) and TAI of nonpregnant cows. This resulted in the following two TAI programs: a modified OvSynch program with a second PGF2α treatment at 24 h interval (GPPG, n = 100) and a modified OvSynch program with an intravaginal progesterone-release device inserted between days 0–7 (PRID + GPPG, n = 100). Cows included in the TAI programs recorded an improvement in the cumulative pregnancy rate (67% vs. 53%; 69% vs. 53%) compared to those in which this strategy was not applied (p < 0.05). An economic analysis was performed using a decision-support tool to estimate the net present value (NPV; USD/cow/year). The analysis revealed a difference in NPV of 89.6 USD/cow/year between the programs (rebreeding the nonpregnant cows following the TAI program vs. AI at detected estrus). In summary, rebreeding the nonpregnant cows after early negative pregnancy diagnosis (25 days after AI) using this strategy can improve the cumulative pregnancy rate and profitability of dairy farms. Full article

Pregnancy and lactation are amongst the most challenging times of a bitch’s life. Most studies focusing on the endocrinological aspect of pregnancy consider only a small number of animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate progesterone (P4) concentrations in a large number of bitches during early, mid and late pregnancy. In total, 126 bitches of various breeds were recruited following a thorough clinical and gynecological examination during estrus. Blood samples were collected three times (T1–T3) during pregnancy or from non-pregnant dogs in diestrus, and P4 was measured via chemiluminescence. At T1 (11–19 days post-ovulation (dpo)), serum P4 concentrations were 30.23 ± 6.65 ng/mL and 28.45 ± 6.26 ng/mL, at T2 (23–32 dpo) they were 22.73 ± 6.27 ng/mL and 22.59 ± 5.77 ng/mL and at T3 (52–60 dpo) they were 6.68 ± 2.18 ng/mL and 3.17 ± 2.26 ng/mL, in pregnant (n = 98) and non-pregnant (n = 23) dogs respectively. The P4 concentrations differed significantly between pregnant and non-pregnant animals at the last examination (p ≤ 0.001). In the context of hypoluteoidism, the gathered data yielded interesting results. Overall, 28 out of 98 pregnant bitches showed a greater decline (>15 ng/mL) in P4 concentrations from early to mid-pregnancy, and 56 bitches showed P4 concentrations lower than deemed adequate (>20 ng/mL at T1 and T2, >5 ng/mL at T3) according to existing recommendations. Despite not being supplemented with P4, none of those animals suffered from abortion or preterm delivery. Considering that supplementation of P4 can entail considerable risks for the bitch and the puppies, more research on P4 concentration patterns, diagnosis of hypoluteoidism and treatment indications and options is indicated. Full article

A retrospective analysis of administrative claims containing a diverse mixture of ages, ethnicities, and geographical regions across the United States was conducted in order to identify medical events that occur during pregnancy and are associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The dataset used in this study is comprised of 123,824 pregnancies of which 1265 resulted in the child being diagnosed with ASD during the first five years of life. Logistic regression analysis revealed significant relationships between several maternal medical claims, made during her pregnancy and segmented by trimester, and the child’s diagnosis of ASD. Having a biological sibling with ASD, maternal use of antidepressant medication and psychiatry services as well as non-pregnancy related claims such hospital visits, surgical procedures, and radiology exposure were related to an increased risk of ASD regardless of trimester. Urinary tract infections during the first trimester and preterm delivery during the second trimester were also related to an increased risk of ASD. Preventative and obstetrical care were associated with a decreased risk for ASD. A better understanding of the medical factors that increase the risk of having a child with ASD can lead to strategies to decrease risk or identify those children who require increased surveillance for the development of ASD to promote early diagnosis and intervention. Full article

Two of the most important problems in high-yielding dairy goat farms are early and accurate pregnancy diagnosis and the appropriate dry off of lactating does before the next kidding. The hypothesis posits that it could be possible to identify pregnant does through maximum progesterone milk levels at any time during the pregnancy, and that there is an optimal time to apply a lactation inhibitor to help dry off lactating does. Therefore, 114 Murciano-Granadina breed goats were used, from which 74 goats were inseminated at week 20 of lactation and samples of milk from pregnant and non-pregnant goats were taken at two-week intervals. The average maximum progesterone milk levels were higher outside the natural breeding season (40° latitude) than in the breeding season (11.6 ± 1.13 vs. 8.6 ± 1.02 ng/mL), although the levels from pregnant and non-pregnant goats were similar (10.85 ± 1.3 vs. 9.74 ± 1.6 ng/mL), except in the case of pregnancy with four foetuses (12.5 ± 1.3 ng/mL). Milk yield at mating does not affect fertility until a value of at least 3250 mL/day. Pregnancy started to affect milk yield up to the +7th week and was 59.9% lower in the +10th week after mating, so the use of lactation inhibitors could be more effective from this latter week. In conclusion, the results show that it is not possible to detect gestation in goats reliably through the maximum concentration of progesterone in milk at any time during lactation, except in the case of goats gestating four foetuses, that the milk yield of goats at mating does not affect fertility until a value of at least 3250 mL/day, and that from the 10th week post-mating, the application of lactation inhibitors would be optimal. Full article

One of the most recent techniques for the on-farm diagnosis of early pregnancy (EP) in cattle is B-mode ultrasonography. Under field conditions, acceptable results may be achieved with ultrasonography from Days 25 to 30 post-AI. The reliability of the test greatly depends on the frequency of the transducer used, the skill of the examiner, the criterion used for a positive pregnancy diagnosis (PD), and the position of the uterus in the pelvic inlet. Non-pregnant animals can be selected accurately by evaluating blood flow in the corpus luteum around Day 20 after AI, meaning we can substantially improve the reproductive efficiency of our herd. Pregnancy protein assays (PSPB, PAG-1, and PSP60 RIA, commercial ELISA or rapid visual ELISA tests) may provide an alternative method to ultrasonography for determining early pregnancy or late embryonic/early fetal mortality (LEM/EFM) in dairy cows. Although the early pregnancy factor is the earliest specific indicator of fertilization, at present, its detection is entirely dependent on the use of the rosette inhibition test; therefore, its use in the field needs further developments. Recently found biomarkers like interferon-tau stimulated genes or microRNAs may help us diagnose early pregnancy in dairy cows; however, these tests need further developments before their general use in the farms becomes possible. Full article

Background and objectives: Breast cancer is among the most common cancer types encountered during pregnancy. Here, we aimed to describe the characteristics, management, and outcomes of women with pregnancy-associated breast cancer at a tertiary-level hospital in Romania. Material and Methods: We retrospectively and prospectively collected demographic, oncological, and obstetrical data for women diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy, and who elected to continue their pregnancy, between June 2012 and June 2020. Complete data were obtained regarding family and personal medical history and risks factors, cancer diagnosis and staging, clinical and pathological features (including histology and immunohistochemistry), multimodal cancer treatment, pregnancy management (fetal ultrasounds, childbirth, and postpartum data), and infant development and clinical evolution up to 2020. Cancer therapy was administered following national guidelines and institutional protocols and regimens developed for non-pregnant patients, including surgery and chemotherapy, while avoiding radiotherapy during pregnancy. Results: At diagnosis, 16.67% of patients were in an advanced/metastatic stage, while 75% were in early operable stages. However, the latter patients underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy rather than up-front surgery due to aggressive tumor biology (triple negative, multifocal, or HER2+). No patient achieved complete pathological remission, but only one patient relapsed. No recurrence was recorded within 12 months among early-stage patients. Conclusions: In this contemporary assessment of real-world treatment patterns and outcomes among patients with pregnancy-associated breast cancer, our findings were generally consistent with globally observed treatment outcomes, underscoring the need for a multidisciplinary team and reference centers. Full article