Assessment of the Immune Response of Clinically Infected Calves to Cryptosporidium parvum Infection

Abstract

Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum) infection is one of the main causes of diarrhea in calves. The current study assessed the role of blood biomarkers (acute-phase proteins (APPs), procalcitonin, neopterin, cytokines, and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prognosis of calves naturally infected with C. parvum. Fifty-seven calves, aged from 10 to 45 days, were detected positive for C. parvum and were allotted into the diseased group; twenty healthy calves were selected as a control group. Serum amyloid A, haptoglobin, cytokines, neopterin, procalcitonin, and stress biomarkers were tested in the diseased and healthy groups. The serum levels of APPs, cytokines, neopterin, procalcitonin, and malondialdehyde increased, whereas antioxidant levels were significantly decreased in diseased calves compared to the healthy group. Moreover, all examined biomarkers were significantly altered towards normal values in infected calves following different treatment protocols. All biomarkers examined were highly effective in discriminating between C. parvum-infected calves and healthy individuals. Furthermore, the area under the curve (AUC) showed that all tested parameters had a higher degree of prognostic accuracy in predicting the treatment response of calves naturally infected with C. parvum. Our data suggest the usefulness of the examined biomarkers in the immune pathogenesis of the C. parvum infection in calves, contributing to diagnosis and treatment efficacy.

Exploring oxidative stress, immunological and metabolic biomarkers in dairy cows with postpartum pyometra

“…Furthermore, a considerable elevation in SOD levels was observed after treatment when compared to both control and diseased cows. Results in this study are consistent with those observed in previous studies noting a decrease in SOD in she‐camels with uterine infection (El‐Deeb et al., 2022b; El‐Deeb, Iacob, et al., 2022). SOD is an antioxidant enzyme that plays a crucial role in the defence against OS (He et al., 2017; Wang et al., 2018).…”

“…Additionally, the decrease in SOD levels may contribute to the development of tissue damage and sepsis in cows with pyometra. Decreased serum levels of SOD have been found to be a reliable indicator of disease progression and treatment response in several studies (El‐Deeb et al., 2022b; El‐Deeb, Iacob, et al., 2022). However, it is essential to consider the limitations and potential confounding factors of SOD levels when interpreting results in clinical practice.…”

Seroprevalence and associated risk factors for bovine leptospirosis in Egypt

“…in cattle raising the three studied governorates in Nile Delta (Kafr ElSheikh, Menofia and Qalyubia) was 10.2% (95% CI 7.66–13.55). In another Nile Delta governorate, cattle seroprevalence was estimated to be 39.33% 25 . As a result, the findings emphasise the significance of this disease in the country and the necessity to develop effective control measures to lower its incidence.…”

“…In addition, in an Indian investigation, Sudharma and Veena 54 observed that the seroprevalence was not correlated with animal age. This might be attributable to the fact that exposure to Leptospira becomes more common as old cattle, and that seropositivity can remain for a very long period 1 , 25 .…”

“…The ELISA test used to identify Leptospiral antibodies in people with unexplained acute febrile sickness and hepatitis 24 . However, little information is known on the prevalence of leptospirosis in cattle across Egypt's key cattle-producing provinces, notably the Nile Delta province, which includes Dakahlia Governorate 25 .…”