Correlation of Adenosine Deaminase Activity and Somatic Cell Count in Dairy Cows with Subclinical Mastitis

In this study, we aimed to determine the levels of adenosine deaminase (ADA), which plays important role in inflammatory process in sera and milk in cows with subclinical mastitis and state the relationship between this enzyme with somatic cell count. Holstein cows which was consisted the study group allocated into two groups subclinical mastitis (n = 40) and healthy cows (n = 15). After performing the California Mastitis Test (CMT), the cows resulted suspicious; included the study group, the cows which showed CMT as negative constitute the control group. Somatic cell counts were determined with flow cytometry assay. In subclinical mastitis group, serum and milk ADA values were 8.11 and 3.38 IU / L, respectively. Somatic cell counts were 248x103 and 132x103 in subclinical mastitis and control groups, respectively (p <0.01). There was a positive correlation between milk ADA and somatic cell count (p <0.01, r = 0.611). As a result, adenosine deaminase can be used as a marker in the diagnosis of subclinical mastitis in cows