Correspondence to: noura_abobaker@yahoo.com 37 Benha Veterinary Medical Journal 42 (2022) 73-79 Benha Veterinary Medical Journal Journal homepage: https://bvmj.journals.ekb.eg/ Original Paper Diagnosis of caprine pneumonia: impact of vitamin D deficiency and other risk factors in its incidence Yasmin H. Bayoumi 1 , Eslam F. Eisa 2 , Nader M. Sobhy 3 , Nora El-Seddawy 4 , N Noura E. Attia 1,* 1 Department of Animal Medicine (Internal Medicine), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt 2 Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Radiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt 3 Department of Animal Medicine (Infectious Diseases), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt 4 Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt. ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords The objectives of this study were to apply different methods for diagnosis of caprine pneumonia and to study the correlation between vitamin D concentration and the immunoglobulin's (IgG, IgM, IgA) in goats up to one year in response to pneumonia. From October 2018 to February 2021, a total of 107 baladi goats were examined; 20 apparently healthy goats used as control group (group I, n=20) and 87 pneumonic Baladi goats were diagnosed on the basis of clinical symptoms, ultrasonographic, chest x-ray findings. Serum vitamin D, IgG, IgM and IgA levels were also measured. Pneumonic goats (group II, n= 87) were subdivided into two groups according to their vitamin D levels; pneumonic goat with normal vitamin D level (groupII a, n= 38) and pneumonic goat with decreased vitamin D levels (groupIIb, n= 49). Pneumonic goats were presented with fever, dullness, tachypnoea, bilateral mucoid or mucopurulent/purulent nasal discharge, cough, dyspnea and abnormal lung auscultation. Ultrasonography, the pneumonic consolidation exhibits a liver like echotexture. Abnormality in the chest x-ray revealed increased opacity that may be more gray or white and cotton wool like appearance. Pneumonic goats with reduced vitamin D concentration (group IIb) also revealed significantly lower IgG and IgM concentrations in comparison to both group I and group II a. Vitamin D was positively correlated with IgG. Histopathologically, the pneumonic lesions include interstitial pneumonia, acute suppurative bronchopneumonia and acute fibrinous bronchopneumonia. On the basis of all findings, decrease vitamin D level may be important predisposing factors for occurrence of pneumonia in goats up to1years. Goat Pneumonia Radiography Immunoglobulins Received 18/01/2021 Accepted 17/02/2021 Available On-Line 01/04/2022 1. INTRODUCTION Respiratory diseases are the most frequent disease complex affects goats. Most respiratory diseases are represented as an inflammatory response of the lung known as pneumonia. Pneumonia complexity can be illustrated through interactions between the host (physiological and immunological factors), the etiology (virus, bacteria, mycoplasma, parasite, etc.), and the environmental factors like temperature, humidity, etc. (Attoh-Kotoku et al., 2018). Studying the associated risk factors with pneumonia is a central part of disease prevention and prognosis of infected cases. Furthermore, accurate clinical diagnosis of pneumonia should include physical examination, laboratory findings and different imaging techniques (Mukasa- Mugerwa et al., 2000). The correlation between low vitamin D levels and high risks of acquiring pneumonia in humans was confirmed (Oktaria et al., 2021). Moreover, supplementation with vitamin D could prevent and accelerate pneumonia treatment by improving immune function and reducing inflammation (Grant et al., 2020). Attia et al. (2016) suggested a decrease in vitamin D has a role in pneumonia occurrence among calves due to a direct effect on animal immunity. The adaptive immune system can recognize, destroy, and clear foreign antigens through immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, and IgA) that are glycoproteins produced by B-cells and plasma cells(Marshall et al. 2018). The role of vitamin D deficiency in pneumonia incidence and its correlation with immunoglobulins levels in pneumonic goats were not studied before. Vitamin D regulates immunity, innate and adaptive, through vitamin D receptors (VDRs) that are present in most of the immune system cells. Deficiency in vitamin D leads to a reduction in VDRs levels in vivo and subsequent denaturation, cornification, and proliferation of respiratory tract mucous membrane epithelia and damaging their clearance function with the accumulation of non- neutralized proinflammatory media. Consequently, the inflammatory reactions could not be controlled, leading to injury in pulmonary tissues and blocking in gas exchange (Williams et al., 2008). This study represents a detailed diagnosis of pneumonia in goats, associated risk factors, and find out the correlation between vitamin D concentration and Since 1990 Official Journal Issued by Faculty of Veterinary Medicine