Effects of postpartum diseases on antral follicle count and serum concentration of Anti-Mullerian hormone in dairy cows

The antral follicle count (AFC) and Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) concentration are validated markers for ovarian reserve in cattle, but their use as fertility markers is controverse. Here we assessed the effects of postpartum diseases on AFC and AMH concentration, as well as the influence of parity and breed on these parameters. Cows (n = 513, mostly Holstein Friesian and Brown Swiss, parity 3.0 & PLUSMN; 1.8) underwent a single ultrasonography examination 28-56 days after parturition and categorized as having low (n & LE; 15 follicles), intermediate (n = 16-24 follicles), or high (n & GE; 25 follicles) AFC based on objective video analysis of recorded sequences. Blood samples for AMH determination were collected at the time of examination and animals divided into low (< 0.05 ng/ml) and high AMH (& GE; 0.05 ng/ml) group, respectively. No effects of postpartum diseases or breed on either AFC or AMH groups could be observed. There was a strong interaction between parity and AFC, primiparous cows having less follicles (13.6 & PLUSMN; 6.2 vs. 17.1 & PLUSMN; 7.0, P < 0.001) than pluriparous cows. The AFC did not affect reproductive parameters or productivity of the cows. In comparison, pluriparous cows with high AMH concentration had shorter calving to first service (86.0 & PLUSMN; 37.6 vs. 97.1 & PLUSMN; 46.7 days, P < 0.05) and calving to conception (123.8 & PLUSMN; 51.9 vs. 135.8 & PLUSMN; 54.4 days, P < 0.05) intervals, but lower milk yield (8440.3 & PLUSMN; 2292.9 vs. 8927.9 & PLUSMN; 2192.5 kg, P < 0.05) compared to cows with low AMH. In conclusion, no effect of postpartum diseases on AFC or AMH concentration of dairy cows could be observed. However, an interaction between parity and AFC, as well as associations of AMH with fertility and productivity in pluriparous cows, were demonstrated.