The present study sought to evaluate the expression of PD-1 and CTLA-4 in blood T lymphocytes during the periparturient period and their relationship with uterine health in dairy cows, as determined by endometrial cytology and serum concentrations of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), which are indicators of a negative energy balance. The second objective of this study was to investigate whether the expression of PD-1 and CTLA-4 in T lymphocytes is associated with the serum acute phase-protein haptoglobin concentration during the periparturient period. To address these objectives, 26 clinically healthy dairy cows were used. Peripheral blood was collected 14 days prepartum (T-14), at calving (T0), and 30 days postpartum (T30) to measure the expression of PD-1 and CTLA-4 in blood T lymphocytes by flow cytometry. In addition, we collected blood at T0, 10 days after parturition (T10), and T30 to obtain serum and determine the serum concentrations of NEFA, BHB, and Hp. Endometrial cytology was performed at T10, 20 days after parturition (T20), and T30. In the present study, we observed higher expression of CTLA-4 and PD-1 in T lymphocytes at parturition and in the prepartum period, which could indicate a relationship between these immune checkpoints and immunological tolerance during gestation in dairy cattle. In addition, a negative association between the expression of these immune checkpoints prepartum or at parturition and endometrial cytology at T20 and T30 was observed, indicating the negative implications of these immune response regulators in susceptibility to infections. This finding was further corroborated by the relationship between the serum concentration of haptoglobin and the expression of CTLA-4 and PD-1 by T lymphocytes. However, we did not observe a relationship between the indicators of negative energy balance, evaluated by the serum concentrations of BHB and NEFA, and the expression of the immune checkpoint markers studied. Thus, our findings represent an initial step that paves the way for the development of new therapeutic alternatives directed by the host with the objective of increasing the resistance of dairy cattle to infections in this critical period of life.

A mastite bovina é considerada a doença de maior prevalência nos rebanhos leiteiros no mundo, impactando produtores, indústria de laticínios e influenciando negativamente a qualidade do leite, além do impacto na saúde pública. Nesse contexto, objetivou-se traçar o perfil microbiológico dos agentes causadores da mastite bovina em propriedades leiteiras da microrregião do Agreste e Brejo paraibano entre o período de agosto de 2018 a dezembro de 2019 e avaliar o comportamento da dinâmica do California mastitis test (CMT) em diferentes perfis microbiológicos do leite. Foram analisadas um total de 421 amostras de leite provenientes de 920 quartos mamários de 230 vacas que foram submetidas ao diagnóstico da mastite clínica (MC) e subclínica (MSC). Observou-se uma expressiva ocorrência de casos de MSC (n = 370, 40,22%) e de MC (n = 51, 5,54%). As amostras de quartos mamários com MC ou MSC resultou em 16,63% de ausência de crescimento no exame microbiológico. Das amostras com crescimento microbiológico, Staphylococcus spp. (26,36%), Corynebacterium spp. (22,32%) e Streptococcus spp. (12,59%) foram os microrganismos mais frequentemente isolados, já os agentes etiológicos ambientais foram esporadicamente isolados. Na avaliação da dinâmica do CMT observou-se que as amostras com resultado positivo no CMT e negativos no exame microbiológico apresentaram tendência a uma redução expressiva dos escores de CMT no momento da coleta subsequente (após 30 dias). Os resultados demonstram a necessidade de realizar educação no processo de ordenha na região, bem como, reforçar a importância do uso do CMT e do exame microbiológico de forma criteriosa no controle da mastite bovina.