Breed-related and stage-related differences in the immune response to Staphylococcus aureus carriage in sheep during the periparturient period

Gene	Primer sequences (5' to 3')
Cytokine IL1A	F: GATGACCTGGAAGCCATTGC R: ATGTGCTGATCTGGGCTTGAT
Cytokine IL1B	F: TGAAGAGCTGCACCCAACAC R: GAGAAATCTGCAGCTGGATGTTT
Cytokine TNF	F: GAGCACCAAAAGCATGATCC R: GGCGATGATCCCAAAGTAGA
Cytokine IL6	F: TAACCACTCCAGCCACACAC R: GATAACCTTTGCGTTCTTTACCC
Acute-phase protein SAA (serum amyloid A)	F: AAGAGGACACATCCCCACAG R: TCCCTGGTCATACCCTTGAG
Acute-phase protein Hp (haptoglobin)	F: CTCCCTGAATGTGAGGCAGT R: TGAGGTTATGGTGGGAGACC
Acute-phase protein Cp (ceruloplasmin)	F: GGAAGGATGTTTGGGAACCT R: TGGTATGTCCCAGGGAAGAG
Reference ACTB (actin beta)	F: AGCGTGGCTACAGCTTCACC R: GGCCATCTCCTGCTCGAAGT
Reference GAPDH (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase)	F: GCTGACGCTCCCATGTTTGT R: TCATAAGTCCCTCCACGATGC
Reference RPL19 (ribosomal protein L19)	F: CCCCAATGAGACCAATGAAATC R: CAGCCCATCTTTGATCAGCTT

Table 2.

Haematological parameters as means ± SEM in the blood plasma of S. aureus carrier and non-carrier ewes of parity two at study entry

Parameter	Breed	S. aureus non-carriers	S. aureus carriers	P-value
WBC (10³/μL)	Uhruska	6.6 ± 1.8	5.8 ± 2.3	0.4
WBC (10³/μL)	Świniarka	7.7 ± 1.6	8.7 ± 2.2	0.3
LYM (10³/μL)	Uhruska	3.7 ± 0.9	3.2 ± 1.2	0.3
LYM (10³/μL)	Świniarka	4.2 ± 0.7	3.8 ± 1.6	0.6
GRA (10³/μL)	Uhruska	2.8 ± 1.0	2.6 ± 1.3	0.4
GRA (10³/μL)	Świniarka	3.4 ± 1.2	4.7 ± 1.9	0.1
	Uhruska	9.9 ± 0.6	9.7 ± 1.5	0.7
RBC (10⁶/μL)	Świniarka	8.2 ± 0.5	8.0 ± 1.2	0.8
HGB (g/dL)	Uhruska	12.3 ± 0.8	12.3 ± 2.0	0.9
HGB (g/dL)	Świniarka	10.5 ± 1.0	10.6 ± 1.3	0.8
HCT (%)	Uhruska	29.4 ± 0.7	29.9 ± 1.6	0.7
HCT (%)	Świniarka	27.9 ± 2.1	27.3 ± 1.7	0.2
MCV (fl)	Uhruska	29.7 ± 1.3	29.8 ± 1.1	0.6
MCV (fl)	Świniarka	32.2 ± 0.9	31.3 ± 3.7	0.5
MCH (pg)	Uhruska	10.4 ± 0.5	10.6 ± 0.4	0.4
MCH (pg)	Świniarka	11.0 ± 0.4	11.5 ± 0.7	0.2

Table 3.

In vivo expression of selected cytokine and acute-phase protein genes in the leucocytes of S. aureus carrier and non-carrier ewes of parity two at study entry, expressed as means ±SD

Genes	Breed	Carriage of S. aureus	Before pregnancy	SD	During pregnancy	SD	After lambing in lactation	SD
Cytokine IL1A	Uhruska	Non-carrier	3.07	±2.3	1.09	±0.23	2.17	±1.5
Cytokine IL1A	Uhruska	Carrier	1.36	±0.55	2.36	±1.05	1.94	±1.2
Cytokine IL1A	Świniarka	Non-carrier	2.96	±2.3	1.98	±1.4	1.94	±0.7
Cytokine IL1A	Świniarka	Carrier	na	na	2.07	±1.2	1.48	±0.8
Cytokine IL1B	Uhruska	Non-carrier	1.14	±0.33	1.06	±0.4	2.13	±1.3
Cytokine IL1B	Uhruska	Carrier	1.38	±0.55	1.16	±0.62	3.20	±2.2
Cytokine IL1B	Świniarka	Non-carrier	1.02	±0.2	1.17	±0.35	1.33	±1.05
Cytokine IL1B	Świniarka	Carrier	na	na	1.17	±0.35	7.51	±5.3
Cytokine IL6	Uhruska	Non-carrier	1.15	±0.33	1.34	±0.72	0.38*	±0.26
Cytokine IL6	Uhruska	Carrier	1.70^a	±0.72	4.46^b	±2.3	1.51^a, *	±0.7
Cytokine IL6	Świniarka	Non-carrier	1.33	±0.71	1.37	±0.5	1.51	±0.65
Cytokine IL6	Świniarka	Carrier	na	na	2.18	±1.2	0.41	±0.24
Cytokine TNF	Uhruska	Non-carrier	1.54	±0.6	1.22	±0.42	3.58	±2.1
Cytokine TNF	Uhruska	Carrier	1.11	±0.3	1.61	±0.50	1.16	±0.4
Cytokine TNF	Świniarka	Non-carrier	1.11	±0.25	1.29	±0.45	2.80	±1.35
Cytokine TNF	Świniarka	Carrier	na	na	1.77	±0.8	0.45	±0.29
Acute phase protein SAA (serum amyloid A)	Uhruska	Non-carrier	1.62	±1.2	1.39	±0.9	0.90	±0.7
Acute phase protein SAA (serum amyloid A)	Uhruska	Carrier	1.20	±0.35	1.25	±0.9	1.24	±0.4
Acute phase protein SAA (serum amyloid A)	Świniarka	Non-carrier	2.21	±1.7	1.87	±1.2	2.01	±0.8
Acute phase protein SAA (serum amyloid A)	Świniarka	Carrier	na	na	1.09	±0.7	0.55	±0.3
Acute-phase protein Hp (haptoglobin)	Uhruska	Non-carrier	1.05	±0.35	1.17*	±0.35	0.39	±0.20
Acute phase protein Hp (haptoglobin)	Uhruska	Carrier	1.08^a	±0.25	4.7^b, *	±2.2	1.22^a	±0.45
Acute phase protein Hp (haptoglobin)	Świniarka	Non-carrier	1.57	±0.55	1.79	±0.9	1.79	±0.9
Acute phase protein Hp (haptoglobin)	Świniarka	Carrier	na	na	2.30	±0.9	0.54	±0.32
Acute-phase protein Cp (ceruloplasmin)	Uhruska	Non-carrier	1.57	±0.9	1.48	±0.6	4.51	±4.2
Acute phase protein Cp (ceruloplasmin)	Uhruska	Carrier	1.31	±0.4	6.11	±3.5	1.50	±0.42
Acute phase protein Cp (ceruloplasmin)	Świniarka	Non-carrier	1.55	±0.6	1.39	±0.45	3.65	±2.1
Acute phase protein Cp (ceruloplasmin)	Świniarka	Carrier	na	na	3.61	±2.4	3.52	±3.3

1a, b – values in a row with different subscript letters are significantly different (P-value < 0.05);

1* – values are significantly different between non-carriers and carriers (P-value < 0.05)

*IL1A* gene expression at different reproductive stages in Uhruska (UHR) and Świniarka (SWI) ewes of parity two at study entry

*IL1B* gene expression at different reproductive stages in Uhruska (UHR)and Świniarka (SWI) ewes of parity two at study entry

*IL6* gene expression at different reproductive stages in Uhruska (UHR) and Świniarka (SWI) ewes of parity two at study entry. Values represent the mean. ^{a, b} – means within each three-reproductive-stage group of bars with different subscript letters are significantly different (P-value < 0.05); * – means of non-carriers are significantly different to means of carriers (P-value < 0.05)

*TNF* gene expression at different reproductive stages in Uhruska (UHR) and Świniarka (SWI) ewes of parity two at study entry. Values represent the mean

*SAA* gene expression at different reproductive stages in Uhruska (UHR) and Świniarka (SWI) ewes of parity two at study entry. Values represent the mean. ^{a, b} – means within each three-reproductive-stage group of bars with different subscript letters are significantly different (P-value < 0.05); * – means of non-carriers are significantly different to means of carriers (P-value < 0.05)

Hp gene expression at different reproductive stages in Uhruska (UHR) and Świniarka (SWI) ewes of parity two at study entry. Values represent the mean. ^{a, b} – means within each three-reproductive-stage group of bars with different subscript letters are significantly different (P-value < 0.05); * – means of non-carriers are significantly different to means of carriers (P-value < 0.05)

Cp gene expression at different reproductive stages in Uhruska (UHR) and Świniarka (SWI) ewes of parity two at study entry. Values represent the mean. ^{a, b} – means within each three-reproductive-stage group of bars with different subscript letters are significantly different (P-value < 0.05); * – means of non-carriers are significantly different to means of carriers (P-value < 0.05)

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2026-0043 | Journal eISSN: 2450-8608 (formerly 2300-3235)

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Language: English

Submitted on: Feb 4, 2026

Accepted on: Aug 3, 2026

Published on: Aug 7, 2026

Published by: National Veterinary Research Institute in Pulawy

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Keywords:

acute-phase response,

cytokine gene expression,

ewes,

Related subjects:

Microbiology and virology,

Life sciences, other,

Medicine,

Veterinary medicine

© 2026 Agata Hahaj-Siembida, Aneta Nowakiewicz, Mariola Bochniarz, Aleksandra Trościańczyk, Marcelina Osińska, Andrzej Junkuszew, Karina Savvulidi Vargova, Monika Gregula-Kania, published by National Veterinary Research Institute in Pulawy
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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Breed-related and stage-related differences in the immune response to Staphylococcus aureus carriage in sheep during the periparturient period

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