Research Article

The Significance of the Cellular Immune Response and Inflammatory Indices (NLR, PLR, and LMR) in the Clinical Evaluation of Calves with Pneumonia

Volume: 10 Number: 2 October 24, 2026

The Significance of the Cellular Immune Response and Inflammatory Indices (NLR, PLR, and LMR) in the Clinical Evaluation of Calves with Pneumonia

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between clinical symptom scores, hematological parameters, and systemic inflammatory indices in calves with pneumonia. Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of calves diagnosed with pneumonia and healthy control calves. Clinical lesion scores (respiratory score, lethargy, cough, nasal discharge, ocular discharge, and ear position) were recorded, and complete blood count analyses were performed. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) were calculated from the hematological data. Results: All clinical symptom scores were significantly higher in the pneumonia group than in the healthy control group (p < 0.001). Respiratory score showed strong positive correlations with nasal discharge (r = 0.880), cough (r = 0.791), and lethargy (r = 0.683). Hematological analysis revealed significantly lower lymphocyte (LYM; 4.31 ± 0.18), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH; 10.85 ± 0.24), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC; 32.92 ± 0.18), mean platelet volume (MPV; 5.47 ± 0.05), platelet distribution width (PDW; 14.00 ± 0.05), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR; 2.78 ± 0.13) values in the pneumonia group (p < 0.001). In contrast, red cell distribution width-coefficient of variation (RDW-CV; 21.70 ± 0.41%), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR; 2.06 ± 0.13), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR; 227.26 ± 11.81) were significantly increased (p < 0.05). RDW-CV demonstrated very strong positive correlations with both PLR (r = 0.877) and NLR (r = 0.832). Conclusion: Lymphopenia, increased RDW-CV, elevated NLR and PLR, and decreased LMR emerged as hematological markers associated with disease severity in calves with pneumonia. The combined assessment of these parameters may provide a practical and readily accessible approach to support clinical management and improve prognostic evaluation.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval has been obtained from the Selçuk University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Experimental Animals Production and Research Centre Ethics Committee (SÜDAMEK) with decision number 2025/184 dated 30 December 2025.

References

  1. Aktaş MS, Eren E, Aydın Ö, et al. Research on hematology, inflammatory and antimicrobial peptide levels according to clinical scoring in calves with Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD). Van Veterinary Journal. 2024; 35(3):196-201.
  2. Altinbas O, Mete AO, Demiryurek S, et al. Relationships between NT-proBNP and novel biochemical parameters and increased cardiovascular risk in COVID-19. Ann Clin Anal Med. 2021; 12(4):529-533.
  3. Antosiak-Cyrak K, Demuth A, Czerniak U, et. al. The impact of dietary nutrient intake on red blood cell distribution width-coefficient of variation in pregnant women: a cross-sectional observational pilot study. Nutrients. 2025; 17(21):3396.
  4. Aydın Ö. İshalli buzağılarda nötrofil/lenfosit oranı, lenfosit/monosit oranı ve yangısal marker olarak serum demir düzeylerinin değerlendirilmesi. Fırat Üniv Sağ Bil Vet Derg. 2024; 38(1):082-091.
  5. Barasovich SD, Stanislavovich TA, Dzhabrailovna OG, et al. Nasal congestion and its relationship with hypoxia: pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical correlates, and therapeutic perspectives. International Journal of Innovative Medicine. 2025; (3):19-23.
  6. Baruch J, Cernicchiaro N, Cull CA, et al. Assessment of bovine respiratory disease progression in calves challenged with bovine herpesvirus 1 and Mannheimia haemolytica using point-of-care and laboratory-based blood leukocyte differential assays. Transl Anim Sci. 2021; (5):1-13.
  7. Bassel LL, Tabatabaei S, Caswell JL. Host tolerance to infection with the bacteria that cause bovine respiratory disease. Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract.. 2020; 36(2):349-359.
  8. Berman J. Literature review of the principal diagnostic tests to detect bovine respiratory disease in pre-weaned dairy and veal calves. Animals. 2024; 14(2):329.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Veterinary Internal Medicine

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

October 24, 2026

Submission Date

July 29, 2026

Acceptance Date

September 30, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 10 Number: 2

APA
Öztürk, M., & Altuğ, N. (2026). The Significance of the Cellular Immune Response and Inflammatory Indices (NLR, PLR, and LMR) in the Clinical Evaluation of Calves with Pneumonia. Turkish Journal of Veterinary Research, 10(2). https://izlik.org/JA97EY28EZ
AMA
1.Öztürk M, Altuğ N. The Significance of the Cellular Immune Response and Inflammatory Indices (NLR, PLR, and LMR) in the Clinical Evaluation of Calves with Pneumonia. TJVR. 2026;10(2). https://izlik.org/JA97EY28EZ
Chicago
Öztürk, Merve, and Nuri Altuğ. 2026. “The Significance of the Cellular Immune Response and Inflammatory Indices (NLR, PLR, and LMR) in the Clinical Evaluation of Calves With Pneumonia”. Turkish Journal of Veterinary Research 10 (2). https://izlik.org/JA97EY28EZ.
EndNote
Öztürk M, Altuğ N (October 1, 2026) The Significance of the Cellular Immune Response and Inflammatory Indices (NLR, PLR, and LMR) in the Clinical Evaluation of Calves with Pneumonia. Turkish Journal of Veterinary Research 10 2
IEEE
[1]M. Öztürk and N. Altuğ, “The Significance of the Cellular Immune Response and Inflammatory Indices (NLR, PLR, and LMR) in the Clinical Evaluation of Calves with Pneumonia”, TJVR, vol. 10, no. 2, Oct. 2026, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA97EY28EZ
ISNAD
Öztürk, Merve - Altuğ, Nuri. “The Significance of the Cellular Immune Response and Inflammatory Indices (NLR, PLR, and LMR) in the Clinical Evaluation of Calves With Pneumonia”. Turkish Journal of Veterinary Research 10/2 (October 1, 2026). https://izlik.org/JA97EY28EZ.
JAMA
1.Öztürk M, Altuğ N. The Significance of the Cellular Immune Response and Inflammatory Indices (NLR, PLR, and LMR) in the Clinical Evaluation of Calves with Pneumonia. TJVR. 2026;10. Available at https://izlik.org/JA97EY28EZ.
MLA
Öztürk, Merve, and Nuri Altuğ. “The Significance of the Cellular Immune Response and Inflammatory Indices (NLR, PLR, and LMR) in the Clinical Evaluation of Calves With Pneumonia”. Turkish Journal of Veterinary Research, vol. 10, no. 2, Oct. 2026, https://izlik.org/JA97EY28EZ.
Vancouver
1.Merve Öztürk, Nuri Altuğ. The Significance of the Cellular Immune Response and Inflammatory Indices (NLR, PLR, and LMR) in the Clinical Evaluation of Calves with Pneumonia. TJVR [Internet]. 2026 Oct. 1;10(2). Available from: https://izlik.org/JA97EY28EZ