Study of the proviral load levels and mRNA expression of cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and somatic milk cells in cattle with different BLV infection profiles

LADERA GOMEZ MARLA ELIANA; NIETO FARIAS, MARIA VICTORIA; VATER, ADRIAN ALEJANDRO; CERIANI MARIA CAROLINA; DOLCINI GUILLERMINA LAURA

VETERINARIA ITALIANA

IST ZOOPROFILATTICO SPERIMENTALE ABRUZZO & MOLISE G CAPORALE-IZS A&M

Lugar: Teramo; Año: 2023 vol. 59 p. 83 - 92

0505-401X

The retrovirus bovine leukemia virus (BLV) might produce abnormal immune function,associated with susceptibility to developing other infectious diseases, including mastitis.This study aimed to determine the proviral load and cytokines gene expression in peripheralblood mononuclear cells (PMBC) and milk somatic cells (SC) in BLV-infected and non-infectedcattle. Of 27 BLV-infected cows in PBMC, 17 (62.96%) had a high proviral load (HPL), and 10(37.04%) had a low proviral load (LPL). All SC samples had low proviral load (LPL-SC). HigherIFN-γ and IL-10 expression, and lower IL-12 and IL-6 expression, were found in PBMC fromBLV-infected compared to BLV non-infected cattle. Moreover, higher IFN-γ, IL-12, and IL-6expression, and lower IL-10 expression were observed in cattle with LPL-PBMC compared toHPL-PBMC. In milk samples, lower IFN-γ and higher IL-12 mRNA expression were observedin LPL-SC compared to BLV non-infected cattle in SC. IL-10 and IL-6 expression mRNA wassignificantly lower in LPL-SC than in SC from BLV non-infected cattle. This study showsthat milk SC maintains lower proviral load levels than PBMC. This first report on Th1 andTh2 cytokines expression levels in SC may be relevant to future control strategies for BLVinfection, mastitis, and udder health management.