Brucella-associated cervical bursitis in cattle.

Bovine brucellosis poses a risk to human health and causes serious economic losses for the animal industry. This report describes the use of different diagnostic methods for the diagnosis of brucellosis in cattle affected by cervical bursitis from a slaughterhouse located in São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil. Serum samples from a total of 47 cattle with bursitis were collected and submitted to the Rose Bengal Test (RBT), and RBT-positive samples were further confirmed by the 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) assay. RBT indicated 85.1% (40/47) of positive samples, from which 78.7% (37/47) were confirmed by 2-ME. Immunohistochemistry detected Brucella spp. in 34.0% (16/47) of tissues with bursitis. PCR and/or bacterial isolation demonstrated that 63.8% (30/47) of samples were positive and morphologically compatible with Brucella sp. All colonies suggestive of Brucella sp. were confirmed by PCR. Isolates were further characterized by PCR Multiplex AMOS-ENHANCED, which indicated that the isolates corresponded to biovar 1, 2, 4 (43.33%). This study evidences an association between cervical bursitis and Brucella spp. infection in cattle, and that different biovars of Brucella circulate in bovine herds in Maranhão.

Intracellular survival of Clostridium chauvoei in bovine macrophages.

Clostridium chauvoei is the etiological agent of blackleg, a severe disease of domestic ruminants, causing myonecrosis and serious toxemia with high mortality. Despite the known importance of this agent, studies evaluating its pathogenesis of blackleg are scarce, and many are based on an unproven hypothesis that states that macrophages are responsible for carrying C. chauvoei spores from the intestines to muscles in the early stages of blackleg. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the survival of C. chauvoei vegetative cells or spores after phagocytosis by a murine macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) and bovine monocyte-derived macrophages and to profile inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine transcripts of bovine macrophages infected with C. chauvoei vegetative cells or spores. Both vegetative cells and spores of C. chauvoei remain viable after internalization by murine and bovine macrophages. Bovine macrophages infected with vegetative cells showed a pro-inflammatory profile, while those infected with spores displayed an anti-inflammatory profile. Together, these results corroborate the classical hypothesis that macrophages may play a role in the early pathogenesis of blackleg. Moreover, this is the first study to evaluate the infection kinetics and cytokine profile of bovine monocyte-derived macrophages infected with a Clostridium species.

Transcription of non-classic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I in the bovine placenta throughout gestation and after Brucella abortus infection.

Transcription of non-classical major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) was assessed in the bovine placenta throughout gestation. Additionally, the effect of Brucella abortus infection on expression of non-classical MHC-I was also evaluated using a chorioallantoic membrane explant model of infection. The non-classical MHC-I genes MICB and NC3 had higher levels of transcription in the intercotyledonary region when compared to the placentome, which had higher levels of transcription at the second trimester of gestation. NC1 and classical MHC-I had very low levels of transcription throughout gestation. Trophoblastic cells of B. abortus-infected chorioallantoic membrane explants had an increase in transcription of non-classical MHC-I at 4h post infection. Therefore, this study provides an analysis of non-classical MHC-I transcription at different stages of gestation and different placental tissues, and during B. abortus infection. These findings provide additional knowledge on immune regulation in placental tissues, a known immune-privileged site.