Cytological diagnosis of endometritis in the mare: investigations of sampling techniques and relation to bacteriological results.
Abstract: Aim of this study was to compare uterine smears made using the Knudsen catheter, the cytology brush and a uterine culture swab with regard to diagnostic usefulness and the occurrence of neutrophils. Additionally correlation between culture results and the occurrence of neutrophils in uterine smears was investigated. Samples were collected from 340 mares, 81.5% of which were in estrus. Smears made using the cytology brush yielded more endometrial cells per high-power field than those made using the other two instruments (p<0.0001), and a larger proportion had PMNs compared with smears made using the uterine swab (p<0.0001). For smears made with the cytology brush, cultures of β-hemolytic streptococci were more often (p=0.002) accompanied by PMNs than cultures of bacteria other than β-hemolytic streptococci, and there was a positive correlation (r(s)=0.2 p=0.01) between the number of PMNs in smears and the number of colonies of β-hemolytic streptococci. The cytology brush was superior to the other methods because it generated a larger proportion of diagnostic useful smears and the occurrence of PMNs in smears was significantly correlated with the occurrence of cultures of β-hemolytic streptococci.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2012-05-28 PubMed ID: 22727031DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2012.05.012Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research is about the comparison of different tools utilized for diagnosing endometritis in mares. The study aims to discern which tool between the Knudsen catheter, the cytology brush, and a uterine culture swab yields more effective diagnostic results.
Overview of the Research
- The exploratory investigation conducted intended to compare the practicality and effectiveness of three tools: the Knudsen catheter, cytology brush, and a uterine culture swab. The effectiveness of these tools was measured based on their utility in diagnosing endometritis in mares and determining the occurrence of neutrophils—a type of white blood cell in the uterine smear.
- The study gathered samples from a pool of 340 mares, with 81.5% of them being in estrus (a condition that refers to a period of sexual receptivity in female mammals).
Findings and Analysis
- Results demonstrated that using the cytology brush for smears yielded more endometrial cells per high-power field than smears using the other two tools. This makes the cytology brush a superior tool for the diagnosis of endometritis in mares.
- Additionally, smears from the cytology brush revealed more polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) than the uterine swab. PMNs are essentially neutrophils, which are the most abundant type of white blood cells, crucial in the defense against infection.
- Importantly, the study discovered that the number of PMNs in smears had a significant positive correlation with the concentration of β-hemolytic streptococci—a group of bacteria including species that cause many kinds of infections in humans and animals. This signifies that the occurrence of PMNs in smears can possibly help diagnose the presence and amount of these harmful bacteria.
Conclusion
- The research concludes that among the tested tools, the cytology brush was the most effective at retrieving diagnostic useful smears. In comparison with the Knudsen catheter and uterine culture swab, the cytology brush proved significantly superior in its correlation between the occurrence of PMNs in smears and the presence of cultures of β-hemolytic streptococci.
Cite This Article
APA
Walter J, Neuberg KP, Failing K, Wehrend A.
(2012).
Cytological diagnosis of endometritis in the mare: investigations of sampling techniques and relation to bacteriological results.
Anim Reprod Sci, 132(3-4), 178-186.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2012.05.012 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Birkhof Stud, D 73072 Donzdorf, Germany. jwalter@vetclinics.uzh.ch
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bacterial Infections / diagnosis
- Bacterial Infections / veterinary
- Diagnostic Techniques, Obstetrical and Gynecological / instrumentation
- Diagnostic Techniques, Obstetrical and Gynecological / veterinary
- Endometriosis / diagnosis
- Endometriosis / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Infertility, Female / veterinary
- Specimen Handling / instrumentation
- Specimen Handling / methods
- Specimen Handling / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 11 times.- Karam KM, Alebady AS, Alhilfi HO, Al-Delemi DH. Comparative study utilizing different post-breeding treatment regimens in cyclic Arabian mares. Vet World 2021 Nov;14(11):2863-2868.
- Köhne M, Kuhlmann M, Tönißen A, Martinsson G, Sieme H. Diagnostic and Treatment Practices of Equine Endometritis-A Questionnaire. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:547.
- Quartuccio M, Cristarella S, Medica P, Fazio E, Mazzullo G, Rifici C, Liotta L, Satué K. Endometrial Cytology During the Different Phases of the Estrous Cycle in Jennies: New Evidences. Animals (Basel) 2020 Jun 19;10(6).
- Yoshida R, Kitahara G, Osawa T. Intrauterine infusion of povidone-iodine: Its effect on the endometrium and subsequent fertility in postpartum dairy cows. J Vet Med Sci 2020 Jul 10;82(7):926-934.
- Canisso IF, Segabinazzi LGTM, Fedorka CE. Persistent Breeding-Induced Endometritis in Mares - a Multifaceted Challenge: From Clinical Aspects to Immunopathogenesis and Pathobiology. Int J Mol Sci 2020 Feb 20;21(4).
- Sikora M, Król J, Nowak M, Stefaniak T, Aubertsson G, Kozdrowski R. The usefulness of uterine lavage and acute phase protein levels as a diagnostic tool for subclinical endometritis in Icelandic mares. Acta Vet Scand 2016 Sep 7;58(1):50.
- Siemieniuch MJ, Szóstek AZ, Gajos K, Kozdrowski R, Nowak M, Okuda K. Type of Inflammation Differentially Affects Expression of Interleukin 1β and 6, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α and Toll-Like Receptors in Subclinical Endometritis in Mares. PLoS One 2016;11(5):e0154934.
- Buczkowska J, Kozdrowski R, Nowak M, Raś A, Staroniewicz Z, Siemieniuch MJ. Comparison of the biopsy and cytobrush techniques for diagnosis of subclinical endometritis in mares. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2014 Apr 4;12:27.
- Del Prete C, Attolini E, Merlo B, Iacono E, Nocera FP, De Martino L, Longobardi C, Damiano S, Longobardi V, Cocchia N, Pasolini MP. Post-Insemination Infusion of Wharton's Jelly Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells-Derived Conditioned Medium: A Novel Approach for Improving Pregnancy Outcomes in Problem Mares. Vet Sci 2025 May 16;12(5).
- Scholtz M, Guthrie AJ, Newton R, Schulman ML. Review of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae as venereal pathogens in horses. Equine Vet J 2025 May;57(3):587-597.
- Prete CD, Nocera FP, Piegari G, Palumbo V, Martino L, Cocchia N, Paciello O, Montano C, Pasolini MP. Use of cytobrush for bacteriological and cytological diagnosis of endometritis in mares. Vet World 2024 Feb;17(2):398-406.
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