Immunological and Hemato-biochemical alterations in diarrhoeic buffaloes screened for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection using 'indigenous ELISA kit'

Abstract

Paratuberculosis (ParaTB) in ruminants, commonly known as Johne's disease (JD)is caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Characteristic hallmark of JD is chronic inflammation of intestines. Similar infection of MAP in human population is called Crohn's disease (CD). In sub-tropical countries like India, domestic buffaloes are important source of milk and meat and vital for thenutritional security of human beings. Diarrhoea leading to weight loss and weakness invariably leads to reduced productivity, therefore huge financial losses to the livestock farmers. Evaluation of immuno-biochemical alterations and their management through appropriate therapeutic interventions would aid in preventing production losses caused by diarrhoea following MAP infection.Most of the studies were performed to understand immune-biochemical alterations in serum samples of cattle following experimental infections. But studies are limited in clinical cases of buffaloes suffering from diarrhoea and were suspected for MAP infection.We categorized diarrhoeic buffaloes brought at Veterinary Clinical Complex of Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, for therapeutic intervention; As MAP negatives / suspected, low positive, positive and strong positive based on indigenous ELISA kit results. We further compared immuno hemato-biochemical alterations in MAP negative/suspected low positive, positive and strong positive animals.Our major findings were; significant differences observed in creatinine, globulin, total leucocytic, neutrophils and in lymphocytes numbers. Decreasing trend in leucocytes was seen from suspected to strong positive animals, which indicated the progression of disease towards chronic paratuberculosis. However, differences were not observed in the Th1 cytokine levels.

Keywords: (MAP); Buffaloes; Cytokine responses; Electrolytes; Metabolites; Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis; Neutrophils; TLC.