Vallejo-Timarán Darío A, Bazzazan Ali, Segura Mariela, Prieto-Cárdenas Nelson E, Lefebvre Rejean C
One Health and Veterinary, Innovative Research and Development (OHVRI) Research Group, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.
Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada.
Front Vet Sci. 2021 Feb 2;7:605773. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.605773. eCollection 2020.
Innate immunity is the principal sensor responsible of the local immune response to control mucosal bacterial contamination of the reproductive tract after parturition, triggering a pro-inflammatory process in the mucosa of the uterus, the vaginal and the cervix. However, knowledge about the inflammation process and outcome of the cervix in dairy cows is scarce even though it plays an important anatomic and functional role between the vagina and the uterus. The objective of the present study was to describe the cellular and humoral local innate immune response during clinical cervicitis (CC) in the uterus and vaginal fornix in pre- and post-partum periods of dairy cows. A retrospective descriptive study was performed involving 26 animals, characterized as clinical cervicitis cows ( = 19) and healthy cows ( = 7). Blood and mucus of the different compartments of the genital tract were sampled and records of the cows' genital exam were performed four times: -1 w (day -7 ± 2, prepartum), +1 w (day +7 ± 4), +3 w (day +21 ± 4) and +5 w (day +35 ± 4) postpartum. Clinical cervicitis was defined as cows exhibiting a cervix grade-2 and healthy cows were defined as a cow clinically normal with a grade-0 cervix at time +5 w. Blood white cell count, vaginal fornix and endometrial neutrophils percentage, and the concentrations of interleukin 1α (IL1), interleukin 8 (IL8), and α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) in mucus were determined. The results showed that 23% of the cows were categorized as CC at time +5 w. Cases of CC with purulent vaginal discharge or subclinical endometritis shown the highest cytokine production. At +3 w, IL1, IL8, and AGP concentrations in the uterus and the fornix were significantly higher in CC than healthy cows (CH). In conclusion, the 3-week postpartum is a critical point to evaluate cytokines and acute phase proteins; where IL1 and IL8 variation kept a direct relation with neutrophils numbers and function. The presence of AGP in the endometrium infer a homeostatic proinflammatory protective balance effect, modulating the local uterine innate immune response during peripartum.
天然免疫是负责局部免疫反应的主要传感器，以控制产后生殖道的黏膜细菌污染，引发子宫、阴道和宫颈黏膜的促炎过程。然而，尽管奶牛宫颈在阴道和子宫之间起着重要的解剖和功能作用，但关于其炎症过程和结果的知识却很匮乏。本研究的目的是描述奶牛产前和产后子宫及阴道穹窿临床宫颈炎（CC）期间的细胞和体液局部天然免疫反应。进行了一项回顾性描述性研究，涉及26头动物，分为临床宫颈炎奶牛（n = 19）和健康奶牛（n = 7）。采集生殖道不同部位的血液和黏液，并对奶牛进行四次生殖系统检查记录：产前-1周（第-7±2天）、产后+1周（第+7±4天）、+3周（第+21±4天）和+5周（第+35±4天）。临床宫颈炎定义为宫颈分级为2级的奶牛，健康奶牛定义为在+5周时宫颈分级为0级且临床正常的奶牛。测定血液白细胞计数、阴道穹窿和子宫内膜中性粒细胞百分比，以及黏液中白细胞介素1α（IL1）、白细胞介素8（IL8）和α1-酸性糖蛋白（AGP）的浓度。结果显示，在+5周时，23%的奶牛被归类为CC。有脓性阴道分泌物或亚临床子宫内膜炎的CC病例显示出最高的细胞因子产生。在+3周时，CC奶牛子宫和穹窿中的IL1、IL8和AGP浓度显著高于健康奶牛（CH）。总之，产后3周是评估细胞因子和急性期蛋白的关键点；其中IL1和IL8的变化与中性粒细胞数量和功能直接相关。子宫内膜中AGP的存在意味着一种稳态促炎保护平衡效应，在围产期调节局部子宫天然免疫反应。
