Serum IL-6 and C-Reactive Protein Concentration in Uterine Inflammatory Diseases Affected Crossbred Cows

Background: Diagnostic methods such as visual examination of cervico-vaginal mucus discharge, white side test, uterine endometrial cytology, uterine endometrial biopsy and ultra sonography imaging, has been described by various researchers for diagnosing uterine inflammatory diseases viz. metritis, clinical endometritis and subclinical endometritis,. Estimation of serum IL-6 and C - reactive protein provides biochemical means to diagnosethese uterine inflammatory diseases.The objective of this study was to compare the concentrations of inflammatory cytokine (IL -6) and C-reactive protein in healthy (control) postpartum crossbred cows and cows suffering from uterine inflammatory diseases. Methods: On the basis visual examination of vaginal discharges and white side test 96 cows with abnormal puerperium were categorized in three uterine inflammatory groups viz. metritis (M), clinical endometritis (CE) and subclinical endometritis (SCE) each inflammatory group containing 30 animals.A group of 6 cowsnegative for white side test were categorized as control group. The blood samples were collected and serum was separated for the estimation of IL-6 and C-reactive protein in different inflammatory groups and control group cows. Result: The mean serum concentration of IL 6 in metritis, clinical endometritis, subclinical endometritis and control group cows were 3130±64.13, 3220±58.11, 2650±68.91 and 1820±6 1.46 pg/ml respectively. The mean concentration of serum C- reactive protein in Metritis (Group A), CE (Group B), SCE (Group C) and control (Group D) cows were 115.43±0.61, 86.24±0.61, 56.60±0.24 and 47.82±0.69 μg/ml respectively. This study showed that IL-6 concentrations in uterine inflammatory disease affected cows were higher than those in healthy control group cows. Similarly, serum concentration of CRP in metritis group was approximately three times higher than in the control group.