Application of differential inflammatory cell count as a tool to monitor udder health

A flow cytometric technique called differential inflammatory cell count was standardized by staining bovine peripheral blood leukocytes with a combination of DNA binding dyes SYBR green 1 and propidium iodide in water. Leukocytes were also stained with propidium iodide in detergent to determine total cell count. Differential inflammatory cell count assay was evaluated with individual quarter milk samples from 13 cows. Cows were sampled at weekly intervals for 3 wk and assayed for total cell count, mononuclear leukocyte count, and polymorphonuclear leukocyte count. Simultaneously, milk samples were evaluated by the conventional electronic somatic cell count (SCC) technique. Somatic cell count positively correlated with total cell count (r = 0.9), mononuclear leukocyte count (r = 0.8), and polymorphonuclear leukocyte count (r = 0.89). Quarters with SCC > log10 5.4 had a higher total cell count, mononuclear leukocyte count, and polymorphonuclear leukocyte count and were more often culture positive compared with quarters with SCC < log10 5.4. Quarters that were culture positive on all three test occasions had a higher proportion of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (33 to 49%) compared with quarters that were culture negative on all three test occasions (17 to 25%). The findings of this study suggest that differential inflammatory cell count assay has the potential to evolve as a new technique for evaluation of udder health status.