Volume 54 (2004) Issue: 2004 No#5-6

Cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity reaction to phytohemagglutinin in repeat breeder cows

Author(s): Lazarević M, Milovanović A, Milanović Svetlana, Kirovski Danijela, Ilić V

Keywords:PHA, cows, subfertility, Ig A, Ig, cervical mucus, sera, sperm cells

In this study the relationship was explored between general immune reactivity, as estimated by the cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity reaction (CBHR) to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and the level of anti-sperm antibodies of the Ig A and Ig G class in the cervical mucus and sera of cows with different reproductive results. The hypersensitivity test was performed on the day of artificial insemination when cervical mucus and sera samples were also collected. The animals were divided into groups according to the total number of inseminations, number of inseminations per calving and their age. The titer of antibodies was determined by the indirect immunofluorescence method using sperm cells suspended in Tris egg-yolk extender. Our results indicate that the intensity of CBHR is lowest in cows inseminated once or twice and in younger animals, while, there were no differences between the groups when they were formed according to the number of inseminations per calving. Titers of antisperm antibodies (ASA) of the Ig A class in cervical mucus (CM) increased with the number of artificial inseminations, number of inseminations per calving and age of the cows.