Variation in cell population and lymphocyte subpopulation in milk from Sarda dairy sheep in relation to the total somatic cell content

Abstract

In this work the correlation between somatic cell count (SCC) and the variability of the cell population and lymphocyte subpopulations in Sarda sheep milk at different SCC class levels is studied. A negative correlation between SCC and epithelial cells and a positive correlation between SCC and polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) were observed; an inversion of CD4+/CD8+ ratio in samples with SCC> 2 000 000 cell/ml was found. Evident increase of PMN was observed at SCC level > 300 000 cell/ml suggesting the use of this value as cut-off in diagnosis of udder infection in dairy sheep