Haemato-biochemical aspects of parturient haemoglobinuria in buffalo

This study aimed to determine the haematological and biochemical changes that occur in buffaloes with parturient haemoglobinuria (PHU). For this purpose, serum samples from 60 PHU- affected and 60 apparently healthy buffaloes were collected and analysed. Mean erythrocyte count (3.6 +/- 1.0 10(12)/l), haemoglobin concentration (5.8 +/- 1.4 g/dl), and haematocrit (16.9 +/- 2.8 %) of the PHU- affected buffaloes were lower (P < 0.001), while their erythrocyte sedimentation rate (104.1 +/- 36.2 mm/h) was higher (P < 0.001) in comparison to the healthy buffaloes. Neutrophils (43.0 +/- 4.5%), urea (49.7 +/- 7.8 mg/ dl) and creatinine (2.1 +/- 0.4 mg/ dl) concentrations were significantly higher in the PHU- affected buffaloes, while lymphocytes (48.7 +/- 2.9%) and erythrocytic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) (92.3 +/- 13.2 mU/10(9) TECs) were lower than in the healthy buffaloes. Serum phosphorus (1.9 +/- 0.6 mg/ dl) and copper (65.4 +/- 6.0 mu g/dl) were lower (P < 0.001), while molybdenum (171.5 +/- 56.7 mu g/dl) was higher in the PHU- affected buffaloes as compared to those values in the healthy buffaloes. It was concluded that PHU-affected buffaloes usually suffer from severe anaemia and hypophosphataemia, and erythrocytes with significantly reduced G6PD are prone to haemolysis, leading to haemoglobinuria in buffaloes.