Examination of the bovine leukocyte environment using immunogenetic biomarkers to assess immunocompetence following exposure to weaning stress

Table 2 Effect of weaning induced stress on total leukocyte, neutrophil and lymphocyte number, neutrophil:lymphocyte (N:L) ratio, eosinophil and monocyte number in weaned beef calves.

	Gender		Location		s.e	Time						s.e.	P-Values
Variable	Male	Female	Near	Away		0	1	2	3	7	11		G	L	T	I
Total Leukocytes	9.9	9.7	9.4	10.2	0.40	9.8	10.5	9.8	9.7	10.5	8.8	0.41	NS	NS	NS	NS
(×10³ cells/μL)
Neutrophils	3.1	2.6	2.5	3.2	0.29	2.3	3.5^c	2.9^b	2.9^b	3.5^c	2.2	0.27	NS	NS	***	**¹
(×10³ cells/μL)
Lymphocytes	7.1	6.7	6.8	6.9	0.13	7.2	7.2	6.8^b	6.8^b	6.9^a	6.5^c	0.13	*	NS	*	**²
(×10³ cells/μL)
N:L	0.46	0.38	0.39	0.45	0.04	0.33	0.49^c	0.43^b	0.42^b	0.52^c	0.33	0.04	NS	NS	**	**³
(Ratio)
Eosinophils	0.12	0.13	0.12	0.13	0.01	0.13	0.10^a	0.11	0.15	0.13	0.10^b	0.01	NS	NS	NS	**⁴
(×10³ cells/μL)
Monocytes	0.59	0.57	0.55	0.61	0.03	0.60	0.54	0.62	0.58	0.58	0.57	0.03	NS	NS	NS	NS
(×10³ cells/μL)

The values are expressed as least squares means (Lsmeans) and s.e.
G = gender, L = location, T = time, I = interaction, NS = not significant (P > 0.05). * = P < 0.05, ** = P < 0.01, *** = P < 0.001.
^{a, b, c}Within rows, Lsmeans differ from pre-weaning baseline by P < 0.05, P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively.
¹Location × Time interaction, 1.9 vs 2.8, 2.6 vs 4.4, 2.5 vs 3.2, 2.7 vs 3.1, 3.6 vs 3.4, 2.1 vs 2.3 for near and away calves at time 0, 1, 2, 3, 7 and 11, respectively.
²Gender × Location interaction, 6.9 vs 6.4 and 6.7 vs 7.5 for near and away male and female, respectively; away male 6.4 vs away female 7.5.
³Location × Time interaction, 0.27 vs 0.38, 0.38 vs 0.59, 0.40 vs 0.45, 0.41 vs 0.42, 0.54 vs 0.48, 0.33 vs 0.33 for near and away calves at time 0, 1, 2, 3, 7 and 11, respectively.
⁴Gender × Time interaction, 0.12 vs 0.15, 0.12 vs 0.08, 0.14 vs 0.10, 0.17 vs 0.12, 0.13 vs 0.14, 0.08 vs 0.12 for male and female calves at time 0, 1, 2, 3, 7 and 11, respectively.

ISSN: 1746-6148