R. Cooray et L. Hakansson, DEFECTIVE POLYMORPHONUCLEAR NEUTROPHIL FUNCTION IN DAIRY-COWS SHOWINGENHANCED SUSCEPTIBILITY TO INTRAMAMMARY INFECTIONS, Journal of veterinary medicine. Series B, 42(10), 1995, pp. 625-632
Polymorphonuclear-neutrophil (PMN) oxidative-burst activity, chemotact
ic and chemokinetic migratory responses, and surface-adhesion protein
expression in a mastitis-prone group of dairy cows were compared with
corresponding variables in healthy cows. The cows had a well-documente
d history of udder infection caused by major mastitis pathogens. Analy
sis of PMN functions revealed a deficiency in the luminol-enhanced che
miluminescence responses that seemed to be associated with the mobiliz
ation of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the PMN of the patient group, as com
pared with the healthy controls. The migratory capacity of the PMN in
response to a variety of chemotactic substances was enhanced in the pa
tients. However, there were no significant differences between the two
groups in the expression of surface-adhesion proteins (CD11a/CD18). I
t is proposed that the migratory activity of PMN cells was enhanced in
order to compensate for their depressed respiratory-burst activity. S
tudies are under way to assess whether the defective mobilization of M
PO in PMN of mastitis-prone cows is an acquired transient defect or a
permanent hereditary defect.