Haemato-Biochemical Aspects of Parturient Haemoglobinuria in Buffalo

Authors: MUHAMMAD ZUBAIR AKHTAR, AHRAR KHAN, MUHAMMAD ZARGHAM KHAN, GHULAM MUHAMMAD

Abstract: This study aimed to determine the haematological and biochemical changes that occur in buffaloes with parturient haemoglobinuria (PHU). For this purpose, serum samples from 60 PHU-affected and 60 apparently healthy buffaloes were collected and analysed. Mean erythrocyte count (3.6 ± 1.0 10^{12}/l), haemoglobin concentration (5.8 ± 1.4 g/dl), and haematocrit (16.9 ± 2.8 %) of the PHU-affected buffaloes were lower (P < 0.001), while their erythrocyte sedimentation rate (104.1 ± 36.2 mm/h) was higher (P < 0.001) in comparison to the healthy buffaloes. Neutrophils (43.0 ± 4.5%), urea (49.7 ± 7.8 mg/dl) and creatinine (2.1 ± 0.4 mg/dl) concentrations were significantly higher in the PHU-affected buffaloes, while lymphocytes (48.7 ± 2.9%) and erythrocytic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) (92.3 ± 13.2 mU/10^9 TECs) were lower than in the healthy buffaloes. Serum phosphorus (1.9 ± 0.6 mg/dl) and copper (65.4 ± 6.0 \mu g/dl) were lower (P < 0.001), while molybdenum (171.5 ± 56.7 \mu g/dl) was higher in the PHU-affected buffaloes as compared to those values in the healthy buffaloes. It was concluded that PHU-affected buffaloes usually suffer from severe anaemia and hypophosphataemia, and erythrocytes with significantly reduced G6PD are prone to haemolysis, leading to haemoglobinuria in buffaloes.

Keywords: Parturient haemoglobinuria, buffaloes, haematology, biochemistry

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