Differential leucocyte count for ewe milk with low and high somatic cell count

This study was undertaken to compare flow cytometry (FC) and direct microscopic leucocyte count (MDLC) for the differentiation of macrophages, lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) and to evaluate leucocyte distribution in ewe milk with low and high somatic cell count (SCC). Milk samples were grouped for somatic cell count in low SCC (LSCC) when the content was lower than 5.00 x 10(5)/ml and high SCC (HSCC) when the content was higher than 1.00 x 10(6)/ml. No differences were found between the two methods tested suggesting that FC could be used as a routine test for rapid discrimination of leucocytes. Percentages of lymphocytes in ewe milk were higher in LSCC (50%) than in HSCC (39%) and count ranged from 273.91 +/- 56.62 x 10(3)cells/ml (LSCC) to 308.90 +/- 46.15 x 10(3)cells/ml (HSCC). PMN number was lower in LSCC than in HSCC (248.83 +/- 46.87 x 10(3)cells/ml v. 444.38 +/- 58.62 x 10(3)cells/ml); accordingly the percentage was lower in LSCC (40%) than in HSCC (57%). No differences were found for macrophages which were 36.36 +/- 5.51 x 10(3)cells/ml and 39.32 +/- 6.83 x 10(3)cells/ml in LSCC and HSCC, respectively. Lymphocytes in ewe milk did not vary with increased number of somatic cells and were the predominant cell type in LSCC. PMN represented the main population detected in HSCC and the correlation with SCC evidenced that this leucocyte class could be useful in differentiating ewe milk cell count, being strictly responsible for the SCC increase.