Lactation mastitis: Promising alternative indicators for early diagnosis

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Biochemistry
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Lactation mastitis (LM) remains a significant clinical challenge with high incidence rates.
• Early and specific quantitative indicators are crucial for reducing LM incidence and improving prognosis.
• Milk electrolyte concentrations and electrical conductivity (EC) are known to change in early-stage LM in animal models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the pathogenesis and mechanisms of LM concerning milk electrolyte concentrations and EC.
• To explore the potential of these indicators for the early detection of subclinical mastitis in humans.
• To provide novel insights for diagnosing human LM.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing scientific literature on LM, milk electrolytes, and EC.
• Analysis of studies evaluating EC for subclinical mastitis detection in cows.
• Synthesis of findings regarding changes in milk chloride, potassium, and sodium concentrations during LM.

Main Results:

• Milk electrolyte concentrations (chloride, potassium, sodium) and EC significantly alter in early LM stages in animal models.
• EC, chloride, and sodium content are more accurate predictors of infection status than other variables in cows.
• In early LM, milk sodium, chloride, and EC increase, while potassium decreases.

Conclusions:

• Milk electrolyte levels and EC show promise as early diagnostic markers for LM.
• These indicators, studied in animals, have not been widely reported for human LM diagnosis.
• Further research is warranted to validate these markers for human subclinical mastitis detection.