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Four to 6 wk after parturition, 12 cows in second, fourth, or fifth lactation were experimentally infected in one gland with Escherichia coli. The capacity of chemotaxis, phagocytosis, oxidative burst, and expression of CD11/CD18 receptors to predict the severity of IMI was measured. Bacterial counts in the infected quarter, expressed as area under the curve, and residual milk production in the uninfected quarters were compared to determine severity of the infection. Although these two outcome parameters were highly negatively correlated, regression models with preinfection tests for leukocyte function fitted best with bacterial counts as an outcome parameter. Of the preinfection tests for leukocyte function, chemotaxis best predicted the outcome of the IMI that had been experimentally induced by E. coli.The number of circulating peripheral leukocytes just prior to inoculation was used to predict 52 and 45% of the severity of IMI for bacterial counts and residual milk production, respectively. As a categorical variable, parity predicted 75 and 56% of the severity of IMI expressed as bacterial counts and residual milk production, respectively. Because of the strong effect of parity on the outcome of the experimentally induced mastitis, analysis was performed to discriminate between second parity cows and older cows. Significant differences were found for the number of circulating peripheral leukocytes and for the expression of CD11b/CD18 and CD11c/CD18 receptors between younger and older cows. ( Key words: bovine, Escherichia coli, mastitis, leukocyte function test) Abbreviation key: AUC = area under the curve, PMN = polymorphonuclear neutrophil, RMP = residual milk production.

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