UNASSIGNED: Data collected from an experimental Holstein-Friesian research herd were used to determine genetic and phenotypic parameters of innate and adaptive cellular immune-associated traits. Relationships between immune-associated traits and production, health, and fertility traits were also investigated. Repeated blood leukocyte records were analyzed in 546 @entity291 for 9 cellular immune-associated traits, including percent T cell subsets, B cells, NK cells, and granulocytes. Variance components were estimated by univariate analysis. Heritability estimates were obtained for all 9 traits, the highest of which were observed in the T cell subsets percent @entity9214 (+), percent CD8(+), @entity9214 (+):CD8(+) ratio, and percent @entity42088 (+) cells (0.46, 0.41, 0.43 and 0.42, respectively), with between-individual variation accounting for 59 to 81% of total phenotypic variance. Associations between immune-associated traits and production, health, and fertility traits were investigated with bivariate analyses. Strong genetic correlations were observed between percent @entity42088 (+) and stillbirth rate (0.61), and @entity1273 episodes and percent CD8(+) (-0.51). Regarding production traits, the strongest relationships were between @entity9214 (+):CD8(+) ratio and weight phenotypes (-0.52 for live weight; -0.51 for empty body weight). Associations between feed conversion traits and immune-associated traits were also observed. Our results provide evidence that cellular immune-associated traits are heritable and repeatable, and the noticeable variation between animals would permit selection for altered trait values, particularly in the case of the T cell subsets. The associations we observed between immune-associated, health, fertility, and production traits suggest that genetic selection for cellular immune-associated traits could provide a useful tool in improving @entity4409 , fitness, and fertility.

Estimating genetic and phenotypic parameters of cellular immune-associated traits in dairy XXXX .

@entity1273 :: ('MESH:D007794', 'Disease') :: ['lameness'] @entity42088 :: ('369024(Tax:9913)', 'Gene') :: ['NKp46'] @entity4409 :: ('MESH:D000820', 'Disease') :: ['animal health'] @entity9214 :: ('407098(Tax:9913)', 'Gene') :: ['CD4'] @entity291 :: ('9913', 'Species') :: ['cows']
@entity291 :: (9913,Species) :: ['cows']
