Changes in Biochemical and Immune-Hematological Parameters in Dry Cow Period

The profound immuno-metabolic reconstruction can be observed in the animals during the last trimester of gestation. The research study is focused on assessing the changes in biochemical and immune-hematological parameter values in a dry cow period and their correlation patterns to use them subsequently in developing the science-based therapy and preventive measures. Overall, 10 immuno-hematological and 17 biochemical parameters for 38 Holstein cows, 60 and 20 days prior to the calving dates, were analyzed to reveal any relationships between the parameters. Statistical data processing was performed with PAST and R software, the Wilcoxon W criterion for paired differences (with the Benjamini-Hochberg adjustment for multiple comparison), and the nonparametric correlation analysis with the Spearman’s rank correlation and the Benjamini-Hochberg adjustment for multiple comparison. With approaching the calving dates, the animal serum hematocrit level, absolute lymphocyte count, including T-lymphocytes, and PLT/RBC index were tended to increase (by 9.32, 15.4, 31.3, and 19.9%, respectively) significantly (p < 0.05), while decreasing the absolute segmented neutrophil count (by 20.2%), the phagocytic index (by 12.5%), and the phagocytic activities of neutrophils and monocytes (by 13.3%) was observed. Simultaneously, the metabolic profile changed (p < 0.05), since the serum levels of total protein, urea, and cholesterol decreased by 4.68, 17.8, and 43.8%, respectively, while the triglyceride and creatinine levels increased by 22.8 and 1.2%, respectively, at lowering the activities of glutamate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, and alanine aminotransferase by 23.7, 30.6, and 22.0%, respectively. Structural changes in correlations between the test parameters were observed. Twenty days prior the estimated calving dates, the statistically significant relationships between the hemoglobin, albumin, and cholesterol concentrations and the lymphocyte content in the peripheral blood (mostly B-cells), which were absent in the previous test period, probably indicated the increased requirements of the animal immune system for oxygen and macronutrients for metabolic network plasticity.