Predicting the probability of conception in dairy cows with clinical endometritis based on a combination of anamnestic information and examination results.

The objective of this study was to improve prediction of the probability of conception in dairy cows with clinical endometritis by means of a combination of examination results. For this purpose, a total of 1386 dairy cows were screened for clinical endometritis and data from 286 cows were collected including the calving history, puerperal or concurrent diseases and cow-specific data (breed, parity, BCS at puerperal control 1 (PC 1 = 22-45 days in milk (DIM)), and daily milk yield). The diagnosis of clinical endometritis was made at PC 1 by vaginal discharge scoring with a Metricheck device on a scale from 1 to 3 (endometritis score (ES) 1 to 3). A detailed clinical and gynecological examination including external inspection, transrectal palpation and ultrasonographic examination of the genital tract (cervix, uterus, and ovaries), vaginoscopy and microbiological analysis of the intrauterine content were performed. All cows with clinical endometritis (n = 286) were treated according to the ovarian findings (corpus luteum, dominant follicle) at PC 1. A second puerperal control was performed 21 ±â€¯1 days later. Data was collected until 200 DIM. The risk factors for ES 3 and their effect on the distribution of ES were determined by the Chi-square test and binary logistic regression. Multivariable implications of a large sum of examination parameters on the pregnancy outcome at different DIM (100, 150 and 200 DIM) were analyzed on the basis of conditional inference trees. The prevalence of clinical endometritis was 28%. The ovarian findings at PC 1 did not have any impact on reproductive performance. Puerperal diseases prior to the study, visible vaginal discharge (VVD) and the presence of Trueperella pyogenes (TP) were associated with an ES 3. The prediction of pregnancy status for all DIM times was dominated significantly by VVD or TP as decisive factors. Cows with VVD or TP had lower conception rates at all DIM times than cows without these findings, but the predictive accuracy was similar for both groups. These results suggest that VVD is a valuable and practical examination parameter, which can be used for pregnancy prediction on farm. Therefore, it might facilitate early breeding decisions in cows with clinical endometritis under farm conditions.

Growth factors influence growth and differentiation of the middle ear mucosa.

OBJECTIVE: Otitis media is a major cause of morbidity in pediatric and adult patients. This inflammatory condition is characterized by mucosal hyperplasia that is thought to be mediated by the complex actions of growth factors and their respective receptors. It was the purpose of this study to determine which growth factors might be responsible for the growth and differentiation of the middle ear epithelium during otitis media. STUDY DESIGN: The effect of several growth factors on the expansion and differentiation of normal middle ear mucosa was evaluated in tissue culture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Explants of normal rat middle ear mucosa were exposed in vitro to six different growth factors known to influence epithelial cells in other tissues: epidermal growth factor, amphiregulin, betacellulin, heregulin-alpha, keratinocyte growth factor, and hepatocyte growth factor. RESULTS: After 12 days, the growth and level of cytokeratin expression were analyzed for each of the explant outgrowths. Each factor appeared to have a significant, concentration-dependent effect on either the growth or differentiation of the cultured middle ear epithelial cells. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that several of the tested growth factors may play a significant role in controlling hyperplasia of the middle ear mucosa during otitis media.