Evaluation of cytologic and biochemical variables in blood, plasma, and peritoneal fluid from calves before and after umbilical herniorrhaphy

• Grant number: 09/02858-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants - Publications - Scientific article
• Start date: May 01, 2009
• End date: October 31, 2009
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Juliana Regina Peiró
• Grantee: Juliana Regina Peiró
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FOA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Objective-To establish reference intervals for cytologic and biochemical variables in peritonealfluid, whole blood, and plasma in calves with congenital umbilical hernias (CUHs)before and after herniorrhaphy and to assess whether those variables in calves with CUHswere altered, compared with findings in clinically normal calves.Animals-20 Holstein calves with or without a CUH.Procedures-10 calves with CUHs underwent herniorrhaphy. Blood and peritoneal fluidsamples from all 20 calves were collected for cytologic and biochemical analyses on days 0(before surgery), 1, 3, 5, 7, and 15. Data from the 2 groups were compared.Results-Reference intervals for the variables of interest were established for each group.Before surgery, calves with CUHs had significantly greater plasma total protein concentrationand creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase activities and peritoneal fluidspecific gravity values, compared with values for calves without CUHs. At various timepoints after surgery, peritoneal fluid total protein concentration; fibrinogen concentration;nucleated cell, polymorphonuclear cell, and lymphocyte counts; specific gravity; and lactatedehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, and CK activities in calves with CUHs weresignificantly different from values in calves without CUHs. Some plasma and blood variables(eg, total protein concentration, neutrophil count, and CK activity) were significantlydifferent between the 2 groups.Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Values of certain cytologic and biochemical variablesin peritoneal fluid, blood, and plasma were different between calves with and withoutCUHs. Thus, determination of reference intervals for these variables is important for interpretingdiagnostic test results in calves with CUHs. (AU)