Endogenous Symmetric Dimethylarginine (SDMA) and Asymmetrical Dimethylarginine (ADMA) Levels in Healthy Cows and Cows with Subclinical and Clinical Mastitis—A Comparative Study

Mastitis, a common infection of the udder, is a challenge in dairy cows due to its different forms, including subclinical and clinical mastitis, as well as the economic losses and the use of antimicrobials associated with it. For this reason, interest in biomarkers for mastitis has increased in recent years. Asymmetric dimethylarginine and symmetric dimethylarginine, which have shown promising results as biomarkers for various diseases, are explored in this study for detecting mastitis in dairy cows. The study involved 196 Holstein cows, including healthy cows and those with subclinical and clinical mastitis. The results underlined that ADMA levels were higher in cows with mastitis, and it could be used as a reliable marker to differentiate healthy cows from those affected by the disease. However, SDMA did not show significant differences between the groups, suggesting it may not be as useful for diagnosing mastitis. These findings suggest that ADMA could be a biomarker for the detection of subclinical and clinical mastitis ultimately benefiting both cow health and the dairy industry.