Parasitemia and Associated Immune Response in Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Beef Cows Naturally Infected With Neospora caninum

GUAL, IGNACIO; CAMPERO, LUCÍA MARÍA; HECKER, YANINA PAOLA; REGIDOR-CERRILLO, JAVIER; LEUNDA, MARÍA ROSA; ODEÓN, ANSELMO CARLOS; CAMPERO, CARLOS MANUEL; TORIONI DE ECHAIDE, SUSANA; ECHAIDE, IGNACIO EDUARDO; ESTEIN, SILVIA MARCELA; ORTEGA-MORA, LUIS MIGUEL; MOORE, DADÍN PRANDO

Frontiers in Veterinary Science

Frontiers Media S.A.

Año: 2022 vol. 9

The aim of this longitudinal study was to characterize the parasitemia of Neospora caninum and the associated immunological parameters in naturally infected beef cows for 10 months. The following groups were established: Neospora caninum seropositive pregnant cows (+Preg, n = 7), seropositive non-pregnant cows (+Npreg, n = 7), seronegative pregnant cows (−Preg, n = 4), and seronegative non-pregnant cows (−Npreg, n = 4). Several samples were obtained for absolute and relative leukocyte counting, cytokines IL-10, IL-12, α-TNF, and γ-IFN quantification, specific IgG, IgG1, and IgG2 and avidity and N. caninum DNA molecular detection and quantification. The +Preg group had a higher frequency and concentration of N. caninum DNA in PBMC in the last third of pregnancy compared to +Npreg (p