Cytokine Expression and Haptoglobin Levels in Bovine Fetuses Spontaneously Aborted by Intracellular Infectious Agents and by Probable Infectious Etiology

Cattle abortions pose a serious challenge to livestock health and farm income, yet many cases lack a clear cause even when signs of infection are present. We examined immune activity in aborted bovine fetuses at mid and late gestation caused by three common agents that invade cells, comparing them w...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Sosa, Emiliano, Pla, Natalia, Moore, Prando Dadin, Garcia, Juan Agustin, Campero, Lucia Maria, Fiorentino, María Andrea, Miqueo, Evangelina, González Altamiranda, Erika, Lázaro, Fermín, Morán, Karen, Bilbao, María Guillermina, Quintana, Silvina, Marin, Maia Solange, Canton, German Jose
Formato: info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, MDPI 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/24019
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/19/2878
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15192878
_version_ 1855038861818724352
author Sosa, Emiliano
Pla, Natalia
Moore, Prando Dadin
Garcia, Juan Agustin
Campero, Lucia Maria
Fiorentino, María Andrea
Miqueo, Evangelina
González Altamiranda, Erika
Lázaro, Fermín
Morán, Karen
Bilbao, María Guillermina
Quintana, Silvina
Marin, Maia Solange
Canton, German Jose
author_browse Bilbao, María Guillermina
Campero, Lucia Maria
Canton, German Jose
Fiorentino, María Andrea
Garcia, Juan Agustin
González Altamiranda, Erika
Lázaro, Fermín
Marin, Maia Solange
Miqueo, Evangelina
Moore, Prando Dadin
Morán, Karen
Pla, Natalia
Quintana, Silvina
Sosa, Emiliano
author_facet Sosa, Emiliano
Pla, Natalia
Moore, Prando Dadin
Garcia, Juan Agustin
Campero, Lucia Maria
Fiorentino, María Andrea
Miqueo, Evangelina
González Altamiranda, Erika
Lázaro, Fermín
Morán, Karen
Bilbao, María Guillermina
Quintana, Silvina
Marin, Maia Solange
Canton, German Jose
author_sort Sosa, Emiliano
collection INTA Digital
description Cattle abortions pose a serious challenge to livestock health and farm income, yet many cases lack a clear cause even when signs of infection are present. We examined immune activity in aborted bovine fetuses at mid and late gestation caused by three common agents that invade cells, comparing them with fetuses showing infection-like lesions without a known cause and with healthy controls. In mid-gestation losses by intracellular agents, we found a surge in proteins that drive inflammation, indicating a strong early defensive reaction. In contrast, late-pregnancy losses showed a drop in those inflammatory signals, suggesting a shift toward a more subdued immune state. Fetuses with unknown infections also showed distinct patterns. Although differences in haptoglobin levels were observed in mid-gestation fetuses aborted due to intracellular agents compared to controls, the overall concentration remained low and may be of limited biological relevance. Variations in the fetal immune response according to pathogen type and gestational stage provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of key intracellular agents, thereby strengthening diagnostic approaches and contributing to improved herd health and agricultural sustainability. Intracellular pathogens such as Neospora caninum, Brucella abortus, and Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) are major contributors to bovine abortions, yet many cases remain without a definitive etiological diagnosis despite inflammatory evidence. This study aimed to characterize the immune response in bovine fetuses aborted due to these intracellular agents, comparing them with fetuses showing inflammatory lesions of probable infectious origin and with negative controls. We analyzed cytokine expression (IFN-γ, TNFα, IL- 4, IL-8, IL-12) and haptoglobin levels in mid- and late-gestation fetuses. Mid-gestation fetuses infected with intracellular agents exhibited elevated IFN-γ and IL-8 expressions,suggesting a Th1-type immune response, while late-gestation fetuses showed decreased of these cytokines, indicating a shift toward a Th2-type response. Probable infectious abortions at late gestation also showed downregulation of IFN-γ. No significant differences were observed in TNF-α and IL-12 expressions. Additionally, haptoglobin levels were lower in mid-gestation infected fetuses compared to controls. These findings highlight gestational age-dependent immune modulation in response to intracellular infections and suggest that other unidentified pathogens may contribute to abortions with inflammatory lesions but no confirmed etiology. This study enhances our understanding of fetal immune responses in bovine abortions and may support improved diagnostic approaches for reproductive losses in cattle.
format info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
id INTA24019
institution Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina)
language Inglés
publishDate 2025
publishDateRange 2025
publishDateSort 2025
publisher Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, MDPI
publisherStr Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, MDPI
record_format dspace
spelling INTA240192025-10-01T14:34:13Z Cytokine Expression and Haptoglobin Levels in Bovine Fetuses Spontaneously Aborted by Intracellular Infectious Agents and by Probable Infectious Etiology Sosa, Emiliano Pla, Natalia Moore, Prando Dadin Garcia, Juan Agustin Campero, Lucia Maria Fiorentino, María Andrea Miqueo, Evangelina González Altamiranda, Erika Lázaro, Fermín Morán, Karen Bilbao, María Guillermina Quintana, Silvina Marin, Maia Solange Canton, German Jose Ganado Bovino Aborto Neospora caninum Brucella abortus Pestivirus de la Diarrea Bovina Respuesta Inmunológica Cattle Abortion Bovine Diarrhoea Pestivirus Immune Response Cytokines Citoquinas Cattle abortions pose a serious challenge to livestock health and farm income, yet many cases lack a clear cause even when signs of infection are present. We examined immune activity in aborted bovine fetuses at mid and late gestation caused by three common agents that invade cells, comparing them with fetuses showing infection-like lesions without a known cause and with healthy controls. In mid-gestation losses by intracellular agents, we found a surge in proteins that drive inflammation, indicating a strong early defensive reaction. In contrast, late-pregnancy losses showed a drop in those inflammatory signals, suggesting a shift toward a more subdued immune state. Fetuses with unknown infections also showed distinct patterns. Although differences in haptoglobin levels were observed in mid-gestation fetuses aborted due to intracellular agents compared to controls, the overall concentration remained low and may be of limited biological relevance. Variations in the fetal immune response according to pathogen type and gestational stage provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of key intracellular agents, thereby strengthening diagnostic approaches and contributing to improved herd health and agricultural sustainability. Intracellular pathogens such as Neospora caninum, Brucella abortus, and Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) are major contributors to bovine abortions, yet many cases remain without a definitive etiological diagnosis despite inflammatory evidence. This study aimed to characterize the immune response in bovine fetuses aborted due to these intracellular agents, comparing them with fetuses showing inflammatory lesions of probable infectious origin and with negative controls. We analyzed cytokine expression (IFN-γ, TNFα, IL- 4, IL-8, IL-12) and haptoglobin levels in mid- and late-gestation fetuses. Mid-gestation fetuses infected with intracellular agents exhibited elevated IFN-γ and IL-8 expressions,suggesting a Th1-type immune response, while late-gestation fetuses showed decreased of these cytokines, indicating a shift toward a Th2-type response. Probable infectious abortions at late gestation also showed downregulation of IFN-γ. No significant differences were observed in TNF-α and IL-12 expressions. Additionally, haptoglobin levels were lower in mid-gestation infected fetuses compared to controls. These findings highlight gestational age-dependent immune modulation in response to intracellular infections and suggest that other unidentified pathogens may contribute to abortions with inflammatory lesions but no confirmed etiology. This study enhances our understanding of fetal immune responses in bovine abortions and may support improved diagnostic approaches for reproductive losses in cattle. EEA Balcarce Fil: Sosa, Emiliano. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina Fil: Pla, Natalia. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina Fil: Moore, Dadin Prando. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina Fil: Moore, Dadin Prando. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina Fil: García, Juan Agustín. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina Fil: Campero, Lucía María. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina Fil: Fiorentino, María Andrea. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina Fil: Fiorentino, María Andrea. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina Fil: Miqueo, Evangelina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; Argentina Fil: González Altamiranda, Erika. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina Fil: Lázaro, Fermín. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina Fil: Morán, Karen. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina Fil: Bilbao, María Guillermina. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; Argentina Fil: Quintana, Silvina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción, Sanidad y Ambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Producción, Sanidad y Ambiente; Argentina Fil: Marín, Maia Solange. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina Fil: Marín, Maia Solange. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Cantón, Germán José. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Balcarce. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Innovación para la Producción Agropecuaria y el Desarrollo Sostenible; Argentina 2025-10-01T14:24:15Z 2025-10-01T14:24:15Z 2025-10 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/24019 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/19/2878 2076-2615 (online) https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15192878 eng info:eu-repograntAgreement/INTA/2023-PD-L01-I113, Herramientas de estudio de la Patogenia e Inmunidad en agentes infecciosos y tóxicos que aporten a la sustentabilidad de la producción pecuaria en el marco de Una Salud info:eu-repograntAgreement/INTA/2023-PD-L06-I116, Implementación de tecnologías y nuevas estrategias preventivas y terapéuticas para el desarrollo sustentable y eficiente de la producción animal en el marco de Una Salud info:eu-repograntAgreement/INTA/2019-RIST-E5-I111-001, Laboratorios de Diagnóstico Veterinario info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) application/pdf Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, MDPI Animals 15 (19) : 2878 (October 2025)
spellingShingle Ganado Bovino
Aborto
Neospora caninum
Brucella abortus
Pestivirus de la Diarrea Bovina
Respuesta Inmunológica
Cattle
Abortion
Bovine Diarrhoea Pestivirus
Immune Response
Cytokines
Citoquinas
Sosa, Emiliano
Pla, Natalia
Moore, Prando Dadin
Garcia, Juan Agustin
Campero, Lucia Maria
Fiorentino, María Andrea
Miqueo, Evangelina
González Altamiranda, Erika
Lázaro, Fermín
Morán, Karen
Bilbao, María Guillermina
Quintana, Silvina
Marin, Maia Solange
Canton, German Jose
Cytokine Expression and Haptoglobin Levels in Bovine Fetuses Spontaneously Aborted by Intracellular Infectious Agents and by Probable Infectious Etiology
title Cytokine Expression and Haptoglobin Levels in Bovine Fetuses Spontaneously Aborted by Intracellular Infectious Agents and by Probable Infectious Etiology
title_full Cytokine Expression and Haptoglobin Levels in Bovine Fetuses Spontaneously Aborted by Intracellular Infectious Agents and by Probable Infectious Etiology
title_fullStr Cytokine Expression and Haptoglobin Levels in Bovine Fetuses Spontaneously Aborted by Intracellular Infectious Agents and by Probable Infectious Etiology
title_full_unstemmed Cytokine Expression and Haptoglobin Levels in Bovine Fetuses Spontaneously Aborted by Intracellular Infectious Agents and by Probable Infectious Etiology
title_short Cytokine Expression and Haptoglobin Levels in Bovine Fetuses Spontaneously Aborted by Intracellular Infectious Agents and by Probable Infectious Etiology
title_sort cytokine expression and haptoglobin levels in bovine fetuses spontaneously aborted by intracellular infectious agents and by probable infectious etiology
topic Ganado Bovino
Aborto
Neospora caninum
Brucella abortus
Pestivirus de la Diarrea Bovina
Respuesta Inmunológica
Cattle
Abortion
Bovine Diarrhoea Pestivirus
Immune Response
Cytokines
Citoquinas
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/24019
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/19/2878
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15192878
work_keys_str_mv AT sosaemiliano cytokineexpressionandhaptoglobinlevelsinbovinefetusesspontaneouslyabortedbyintracellularinfectiousagentsandbyprobableinfectiousetiology
AT planatalia cytokineexpressionandhaptoglobinlevelsinbovinefetusesspontaneouslyabortedbyintracellularinfectiousagentsandbyprobableinfectiousetiology
AT mooreprandodadin cytokineexpressionandhaptoglobinlevelsinbovinefetusesspontaneouslyabortedbyintracellularinfectiousagentsandbyprobableinfectiousetiology
AT garciajuanagustin cytokineexpressionandhaptoglobinlevelsinbovinefetusesspontaneouslyabortedbyintracellularinfectiousagentsandbyprobableinfectiousetiology
AT camperoluciamaria cytokineexpressionandhaptoglobinlevelsinbovinefetusesspontaneouslyabortedbyintracellularinfectiousagentsandbyprobableinfectiousetiology
AT fiorentinomariaandrea cytokineexpressionandhaptoglobinlevelsinbovinefetusesspontaneouslyabortedbyintracellularinfectiousagentsandbyprobableinfectiousetiology
AT miqueoevangelina cytokineexpressionandhaptoglobinlevelsinbovinefetusesspontaneouslyabortedbyintracellularinfectiousagentsandbyprobableinfectiousetiology
AT gonzalezaltamirandaerika cytokineexpressionandhaptoglobinlevelsinbovinefetusesspontaneouslyabortedbyintracellularinfectiousagentsandbyprobableinfectiousetiology
AT lazarofermin cytokineexpressionandhaptoglobinlevelsinbovinefetusesspontaneouslyabortedbyintracellularinfectiousagentsandbyprobableinfectiousetiology
AT morankaren cytokineexpressionandhaptoglobinlevelsinbovinefetusesspontaneouslyabortedbyintracellularinfectiousagentsandbyprobableinfectiousetiology
AT bilbaomariaguillermina cytokineexpressionandhaptoglobinlevelsinbovinefetusesspontaneouslyabortedbyintracellularinfectiousagentsandbyprobableinfectiousetiology
AT quintanasilvina cytokineexpressionandhaptoglobinlevelsinbovinefetusesspontaneouslyabortedbyintracellularinfectiousagentsandbyprobableinfectiousetiology
AT marinmaiasolange cytokineexpressionandhaptoglobinlevelsinbovinefetusesspontaneouslyabortedbyintracellularinfectiousagentsandbyprobableinfectiousetiology
AT cantongermanjose cytokineexpressionandhaptoglobinlevelsinbovinefetusesspontaneouslyabortedbyintracellularinfectiousagentsandbyprobableinfectiousetiology