An inherited platelet function defect in a Simmental crossbred herd.

An inherited bleeding disorder, resembling Simmental hereditary thrombopathy (SHT), has been identified in a Simmental crossbred herd. In an affected bull calf, initially evaluated because of excessive bleeding from a vaccination site, the platelet aggregation response to the agonist, adenosine-diphosphate (ADP) was essentially absent and the aggregation response to platelet activating factor (PAF16) was reduced by at least 70%. The initial laboratory assessment of platelet function in the dam and sire yielded results which were within normal limits. The sire was not available for further testing. The dam, also a daughter of this sire, was subsequently shown to have a partially reduced aggregation response to ADP. Of 18 other offspring of the sire evaluated, 6 were also identified as having a partially impaired aggregation response. The maximum aggregation response to ADP and PAF16 in these 6 calves was approximately 50% of the level exhibited by unaffected animals. In contrast, the coagulation profiles were normal for all animals except for a heifer calf which also exhibited a partially impaired aggregation response. The plasma level of the coagulation protein, factor XI, was reduced in this heifer calf which suffered a fatal hemorrhage following dehorning. This report appears to be the 1st to have identified animals putatively heterozygous for SHT on the basis of the in vitro platelet aggregation response to ADP.