Immunoreactive status of cows with postpartum metritis and the level of expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine genes

The aim of research is to study the immunological status of healthy and sick cows with postpartum metritis in the blood serum and vaginal contents. The object of research is lactating cows in the postpar-tum period of the Holstein breed weighing 600–700 kg, 10,000–13,000 kg milk productivity for 305 days of lactation, belonging to the Detskoselsky breeding farm in the Leningrad Region. For the study, 20 newly calved animals were selected, which were then divided into two groups: the first group (n = 10) included clinically healthy cows, the second group (n = 10) – with a diagnosis of postpartum metritis. As a result, a reliable decrease in the number of T-suppressors was noted, anisocytosis due to macrocytes (+), poikilocytosis due to echinocytes (+) and single acanthocytes were established, while metarubricites were 3 per 100 cells. When studying the morphology of leukocytes, hypersegmentation of neutrophils (+) and toxic changes due to foaminess of the cytoplasm were determined. The concentration of IL-4, IL-8, IL-2 and IL-IFNβ cytokines in the blood serum and vaginal contents was determined using enzyme immunoas-say kits (Cloud-Clone Corp, China). The inflammatory process that occurred in cows with postpartum metritis confirmed the increased expression of interleukins. Local vascular reactions necessary for tissue regeneration are explained by excessive secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines as a natural mechanism of the body's defense in response to damage. The level of IL-4 and IL-8 in the blood serum and vaginal contents of animals diagnosed with postpartum metritis compared to clinically healthy cows was 1.2 and 1.3 times higher, respectively. At the same time, the expression of IL-2 and IL-IFNβ cytokine genes signifi-cantly decreased both in the blood serum and in the vaginal contents of cows with postpartum metritis.