Abstract
BACKGROUND: The progesterone (PBP) hormone is responsible for maintaining pregnancy. By measuring its level, a single or twin pregnancy in deer can be diagnosed based on its blood PBP concentration. AIM: This study aimed to determine plasma blood PBP levels in Reem gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa marica). METHODS: Thirteen pregnant females (G. subgutturosa marica) aged 2-4 years were used. The experiments were conducted from October 2021 to April 2022 in Babylon, Iraq. Jugular venipuncture was used to collect ten milliliters of EDTA-free blood samples. The samples were then centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 10 minutes to separate the sera, which were then stored at -20°C in sterile test tubes for later analysis. The samples were then transferred to the central laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Al-Qasim Green University. The electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, or "ECLIA," was used to measure PBP levels in plasma. It is designed to be used with Elecsys and Cobas immunoassay analyzers. RESULT: The levels of PBP at 60 days of pregnant was (2.5375 ± 0.1267 ng/ml) less than those at days 90 (8.3 ± 0.151 ng/ml) and 120 days (11.51 ± 0.168 ng/ml) with significantly different (p < 0.01) between stages in the group of single fetuses. PBP concentrations within groups of twin-bearing animals at days (60, 90, and 120) were (5.06 ± 0.68, 12.5 ± 0.19, and 25.68 ± 1.297 ng/ml), respectively, with significantly different (p < 0.01). We found a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the two groups of pregnant females with single and twin fetus, and mean ± SE was (7.45 ± 0.7786, 14.41 ± 2.32 ng/ml), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The current study describes how the content of PBP in the plasma blood of Reem gazelles (G. subgutturosa marica) can be utilized to predict whether a pregnancy is single or twin, as well as during various pregnancy periods.