Research Projects

Diarrhoea is a common clinical condition in buffaloes and cattle, with chronic cases being a classical sign of bovine paratuberculosis. A study will enroll chronic buffaloes at the Veterinary Clinical Complex (VCC) of Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (LUVAS), Hisar, to record clinical signs, symptoms, and severity. Indirect ELISA will be performed on plasma samples, categorized into five groups: negative, suspected, low positive, positive, and strong positive. The hypothesis is that there will be relative differences in Th1 and Th17 responses in these groups. Th17 responses may predominate in strong positive animals, contributing to intestinal inflammation in JD positive animals. Another possibility is immune exhaustion in JD positive/strong positive buffaloes, resulting in diminished levels of Th1 and Th17 cytokines and less activated immune cells, leading to antigen persistence and chronic disease. Hemato-biochemical alterations and cytokine ELISA will be performed on plasma samples. Quantitative real-time PCR will assess gene expression levels of immunoinhibitory receptors, Th1, TH17, proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and immune competence/immune exhaustion. FACS will be used to enumerate CD4 and CD8 T cell responses and data on T cell numbers, cytokine responses, and expression levels of immunoinhibitory receptors in various groups. The study will provide information on prevalent genotypes in dairy bufflaoes in the Haryana region.