Uterine Immune Function in the Dairy Cow: Immunomodulation/Immunosuppression

Reproductive performance in dairy cows and farm economic efficiency are related to uterine health status at the end of the voluntary waiting period (VWP). Uterine diseases affect about half of all dairy cows in the postpartum period, causing infertility by disrupting uterine and ovarian functions. The reproductive cycle of dairy cows has several critical checkpoints where interactions with the host immune response are necessary, and where deregulation can lead to reproductive failure. As immunity of the reproductive tract appears more and more as a major player in uterine health during the periparturient period in dairy cows, a better understanding of the complex immunological processes at play in the periparturient cow is essential to design animal and herd health management strategies to prevent postpartum uterine diseases in dairy cows and to reduce the carryover negative effect ...