Haematological and immunophenotypic evaluation of peripheral blood cells of cattle naturally infected with bovine papillomavirus

Abstract Papillomaviruses are among the most widespread animal viruses, with many hosts harbouring multiple virus types. The present study aimed to evaluate the haematological and immunophenotypic profile of cattle infected with bovine papillomavirus (BPV). Blood samples were collected from 10 animals with clinical cutaneous BPV and without clinical papillomatosis (control). Haematological analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in haemoglobin and haematocrit for BPV-infected animals. The results also showed an increase of natural killer cells and a decrease of γδ + T-cells and the CD4 + /CD8 + ratio for the BPV group when compared to the control group. The infection was also found to stimulate a pro-inflammatory profile with the participation of CD8 + T cells producing elevated IFN-γ and IL-17. These findings, although preliminary, provide a better understanding of the immune response of cattle infected with BPV.