Reduced lymphoid response to skin allotransplants in cows with hepatic lipidosis

The immune responsiveness of cows with hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver) in c omparison to control cows with a normal liver fat content was tested by app lying skin allotransplants to the skin of the back of cows on day 3 after p arturition. Immunoreactivity was determined by semiquantitative counting of the number of infiltrating lymphocytes in the recipient skin adjacent to t he allotransplants during a period of 21 days. There were more invading lym phocytes in samples from control cows than there were in samples from cows with hepatic lipidosis, It was concluded that cows with hepatic lipidosis h ave a reduced lymphoid response to skin allotransplants.