Immune response to genital mycoplasmosis in bulls

Abstract

This study was undertaken to determine whether a specific antimycoplasmal immune response could be detected in the male bovine genital tract and to better define mechanisms of immunity at that site. Specific Mycoplasma agalactiae subsp. bovis agglutinins were titrated in the serum, semen and preputial mucus extracts of two bulls with M. agalactiae induced chronic seminal vesiculitis and of one normal control bull. Titers from infected bulls averaged 64 for serum, 1024 for semen and <8 for preputial mucus extracts whereas the control bull titers were 16 for serum, <8 for semen, and <8 for preputial mucus extracts. Because of the high semen agglutinin titers from infected bulls it was proposed that semen titers may be more useful diagnostically than serum titers. Studies of immunoglobulin levels in semen revealed that IgA, IgG 1 and IgG 2 levels were all much higher in infected bulls than in the control bull. These high semen IgA levels together with the high semen agglutinin titers indicated a local secretory immune response in genital tracts of infected bulls.