Oxidative and biochemical markers in border disease virus seropositive sheep and goats under field conditions. Technical Note

Border disease virus is known to cause reproductive losses in small ruminants. It is still unclear how the virus affects oxidative balance and serum biochemical variables under field conditions. This field study evaluated total antioxidant status, total oxidant status, and selected serum biochemical variables in seropositive and seronegative sheep and goats from flocks with poor fertility. A total of 72 adult animals (41 sheep and 31 goats) were sampled from 2 similarly managed commercial farms. Antibodies against Border disease virus were found in 22 sheep and 10 goats. The animals were grouped as seronegative sheep, seropositive sheep, seronegative goats, or seropositive goats. Total antioxidant status and total oxidant status did not differ significantly among the groups. Although seropositive sheep had the lowest mean total antioxidant status, seropositive goats had the highest mean total oxidant status. These differences indicate descriptive variation rather than a consistent oxidative imbalance. The clearest biochemical differences involved protein fractions, lipid related variables, enzyme activities, and total bilirubin. Seropositive goats had the highest mean total protein, globulin, alanine aminotransferase, and gamma glutamyl transferase values. Total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein were highest in seronegative goats, whereas low density lipoprotein was generally higher in sheep. Thus, biochemical variation was more evident than variation in oxidative imbalance. Since species and serological status were not evaluated in a factorial model, the results describe differences among the four groups and do not demonstrate an independent effect of Border disease virus seropositivity. Longitudinal studies that include virological confirmation and reproductive records are needed to determine the clinical meaning of these findings.