Research Article

Assessment of The Relationship Between Telomere Length and Physiological Parameters in Cattle Infected with Bovine Leukosis Virus

Volume: 9 Number: 2 March 16, 2026
TR EN

Assessment of The Relationship Between Telomere Length and Physiological Parameters in Cattle Infected with Bovine Leukosis Virus

Abstract

The study aims to investigate the relationship between relative telomere lengths and various physiological parameters in cattle infected with bovine leukosis virus, as well as to identify the risk factors associated with cow-level bovine leukosis virus infection in dairy cattle in Türkiye. Three variables—age, parity, and body condition score—were used for risk assessment. Antibodies specific to bovine leukosis virus were detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and relative telomere lengths were measured by polymerase chain reaction. The highest seropositivity rate (39.13%) was observed in cattle with a body condition score of 3–3.5 and aged between 2–8 years. relative telomere length was found to be positively correlated with seropositivity, advanced age, and parity, while a negative correlation was observed between seropositivity and body condition score. Relative telomere lengths in bovine leukosis virus-infected cattle were significantly shorter (P < 0.05) than those in non-infected cattle. Among body condition score groups, the shortest relative telomere lengths were found in bovine leukosis virus-infected cattle with body condition score ≤ 2.5 and in non-infected cattle with body condition score 3–3.5. Regarding age groups, the shortest relative telomere lengths were observed in bovine leukosis virus-infected cattle older than 8 years (P < 0.05), as well as in non-infected cattle of the same age group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, relative telomere lengths in bovine leukosis virus-infected cattle were found to be significantly shorter than in non-infected cattle (P < 0.05). The shortest relative telomere lengths were recorded in both bovine leukosis virus-infected and non-infected cattle over 8 years of age (P < 0.05). Finally, the association between bovine leukosis virus infection and relative telomere lengths, along with other factors such as age, parity, and body condition score, is considered potentially useful for disease control and prevention programs.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

The Animal Care and Use Committee of the Pendik Veterinary Control Institute provided ethical approval for this investigation, which was carried out with their consent dated 28/04/2021, numbered 08/2021.

References

  1. Aida Y., Murakami H., Takahashi M., Takeshima SN. Mechanisms of pathogenesis induced by bovine leukemia virus as a model for human T-cell leukemia virus. Frontiers in Microbiology 2013; 4: 328.
  2. Armanios M., Blackburn EH. The telomere syndromes. Nature Reviews Genetics 2012; 13(10): 693-704.
  3. Avcı O., Bulut O., Yapıcı O., Atlı K., Dik I. Sütçü ineklerin kan ve süt serumlarında bovine leukosis virus enfeksiyonunun ELISA ile araştırılması. Erciyes Üniversitesi Veteriner Fakültesi Dergisi 2013; 10(3): 171-176.
  4. Ayvazoğlu C., Akyüz E., Kızıltepe Ş., Gökçe G. Investigation of the prevalence of enzootic bovine leukosis in cattle in Ardahan region. Journal of Advances in VetBio Science and Techniques 2021; 7(1): 1-7.
  5. Batmaz H., Carli KT., Kahraman M., Cetin C., Kennerman E. Serological and haematological diagnosis of enzootic bovine leukosis in cattle in Turkey. The Veterinary Record 1995; 136(2): 42-44.
  6. Blackburn EH. Structure and function of telomeres. Nature 1991; 350(6319): 569-573.
  7. Brenner J., Van-Haam M., Savir D., Trainin Z. The implication of BLV infection in the productivity, reproductive capacity and survival rate of a dairy cow. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology 1989; 22(3): 299-305.
  8. Burgu I., Urman HK., Kaaden OR., Truyen U., Akça Y., Alcigir G., Berkin S., Alkan F., Atasever A. Sero-epidemiological and pathological studies on enzootic bovine leukosis in Turkey. DTW. Deutsche tierarztliche Wochenschrift 1991; 98(6): 226-228.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Animal Protection

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

March 16, 2026

Submission Date

June 20, 2025

Acceptance Date

September 29, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 9 Number: 2

APA
Sait, A., Bayraktar, B., Korkmaz, S., İnce, Ö. B., & Tezcan, E. (2026). Assessment of The Relationship Between Telomere Length and Physiological Parameters in Cattle Infected with Bovine Leukosis Virus. Osmaniye Korkut Ata Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi, 9(2), 744-759. https://doi.org/10.47495/okufbed.1723237
AMA
1.Sait A, Bayraktar B, Korkmaz S, İnce ÖB, Tezcan E. Assessment of The Relationship Between Telomere Length and Physiological Parameters in Cattle Infected with Bovine Leukosis Virus. Osmaniye Korkut Ata University Journal of The Institute of Science and Techno. 2026;9(2):744-759. doi:10.47495/okufbed.1723237
Chicago
Sait, Ahmet, Bülent Bayraktar, Serol Korkmaz, Ömer Barış İnce, and Erdem Tezcan. 2026. “Assessment of The Relationship Between Telomere Length and Physiological Parameters in Cattle Infected With Bovine Leukosis Virus”. Osmaniye Korkut Ata Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi 9 (2): 744-59. https://doi.org/10.47495/okufbed.1723237.
EndNote
Sait A, Bayraktar B, Korkmaz S, İnce ÖB, Tezcan E (March 1, 2026) Assessment of The Relationship Between Telomere Length and Physiological Parameters in Cattle Infected with Bovine Leukosis Virus. Osmaniye Korkut Ata Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi 9 2 744–759.
IEEE
[1]A. Sait, B. Bayraktar, S. Korkmaz, Ö. B. İnce, and E. Tezcan, “Assessment of The Relationship Between Telomere Length and Physiological Parameters in Cattle Infected with Bovine Leukosis Virus”, Osmaniye Korkut Ata University Journal of The Institute of Science and Techno, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 744–759, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.47495/okufbed.1723237.
ISNAD
Sait, Ahmet - Bayraktar, Bülent - Korkmaz, Serol - İnce, Ömer Barış - Tezcan, Erdem. “Assessment of The Relationship Between Telomere Length and Physiological Parameters in Cattle Infected With Bovine Leukosis Virus”. Osmaniye Korkut Ata Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi 9/2 (March 1, 2026): 744-759. https://doi.org/10.47495/okufbed.1723237.
JAMA
1.Sait A, Bayraktar B, Korkmaz S, İnce ÖB, Tezcan E. Assessment of The Relationship Between Telomere Length and Physiological Parameters in Cattle Infected with Bovine Leukosis Virus. Osmaniye Korkut Ata University Journal of The Institute of Science and Techno. 2026;9:744–759.
MLA
Sait, Ahmet, et al. “Assessment of The Relationship Between Telomere Length and Physiological Parameters in Cattle Infected With Bovine Leukosis Virus”. Osmaniye Korkut Ata Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi, vol. 9, no. 2, Mar. 2026, pp. 744-59, doi:10.47495/okufbed.1723237.
Vancouver
1.Ahmet Sait, Bülent Bayraktar, Serol Korkmaz, Ömer Barış İnce, Erdem Tezcan. Assessment of The Relationship Between Telomere Length and Physiological Parameters in Cattle Infected with Bovine Leukosis Virus. Osmaniye Korkut Ata University Journal of The Institute of Science and Techno. 2026 Mar. 1;9(2):744-59. doi:10.47495/okufbed.1723237

23487


196541947019414

19433194341943519436 1960219721 197842261021238 23877

*This journal is an international refereed journal 

*Our journal does not charge any article processing fees over publication process.

* This journal is online publishes 5 issues per year (January, March, June, September, December)

*This journal published in Turkish and English as open access. 

19450 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.