Latent inflammatory activity is associated with alterations in iron bioavailability during early postpartum adaptation in dairy cows

Introduction

The transition from late gestation to early lactation is accompanied by profound metabolic and immunological adaptations in dairy cows. While the relationship between inflammation and iron metabolism has been extensively studied in clinical diseases, less is known about how physiological or low-grade inflammatory processes influence iron bioavailability during early lactation. This study investigated associations between inflammatory activity and indicators of iron bioavailability in dairy cows during the early postpartum period, with particular emphasis on the use of a latent inflammatory index derived by principal component analysis (PCA).