ISRAEL JOURNAL OF
VETERINARY MEDICINE
VOLUME 54 (1), 1999
TITLE: SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULIN CONCENTRATIONS IN DIARRHEIC
CALVES AND THEIR MEASUREMENT BY SINGLE RADIAL
IMMUNODIFFUSION
AUTHOR: A. Basoglu, I.ַCamkerten and M. Servinc
Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary
Medicine, Selcuk University, 42020 ַCimenlik Konya, Turkey
Abstract
The effect of passive immune status in diarrheic calves was evaluated.
Serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels were measured by single radial
immuno- diffusion (SRID) test. There was a significant difference in IgG levels
(p<0.01) between the healthy and diarrheic groups. It was observed that IgG
levels were important in calf diarrhea while diarrhea occurred in calves with
partial or normal passive transfer of IgG. SRID test for immunoglobulins was a
practical and quantitative field test.
Introduction
Neonatal calf diarrhea is one of the most devastating diseases of the dairy
industry, with an estimated incidence as high as 10 to 15% and morbidity
approaching 100% in severely affected herds (1).
The passive immune status at 24 h. postpartum was an important
determinant of health before and after weaning (2). Nevertheless, information
gathered from large study populations has demonstrated that healthy,
productive neonates with low serum immunoglobulins.
Several indirect and direct methods of detecting failure of passive transfer
have been described, while the direct measurement of serum IgG
concentrations is usually performed using SRID (3).
The objectives of this study were to determine IgG levels during the
neonatal period, to emphesize the role of IgG in calf diarrhea and to evaluate
the SRID test.
Materials and Methods
Twenty healthy and 20 diarrheic day old calves were used in this study.
After clinical and hematological examination, serum IgG levels were
measured by SRID test and on days 2, 3 and 10 in the healthy calves.
A commercially available kit (Bovine SRID Kit-VMRD Products, Pullman,
Wash. USA) was used for the IgG determination. SRID plates containing
agarose gel incorporating anti-bovine IgG were used. A 3 µl micropipette was
used to add reference and test samples to the plate wells. The plates were
left undisturbed for 18 hours at room temperature after adding the samples.
The resulting ring diameters were used to quantitatively estimate the IgG
content of the particular serum using regression analysis. A standard curve
was established using reference sera supplied by the manufacturer. Test
samples and specimens with diameters beyond the range of the standard
curve were repeated with additional dilutions.
The mean serum immunoglobulin concentrations of the sick and healthy
were compared using Student’s t-test.
Results
Clinical and hematological findings in diarrheic calves were as follows:
B.W (Kg)
Age (Days)
B.T. (oC)
Heart Rate
Resp./min
Dehyd. ration
%
30
9.5
38.5
131.3
50.39
8.1
Faecal
color+cons
Ht (%)
Hb (8.03)
RBC (/l)
WBC (/l)
pH
Yellowish
Watery
50.3
8.03
7114
9640
7.021
Calves were classified as having failure (<800 mg/dl), partial failure (8001600 mg/dl), or normal passive transfer (>1600 mg/dl) on the basis of their
serum IgG concentration (2,3).
The diarrheic group had partial failure of passive transfer (367.9±89.7, <800
mg/dl in 35%; 1414.3±76..9, 800-1600 mg/dl
in 35% and 1375.0±201.6, >1600 mg/dl in 30%), while the healthy group
had normal passive transfer (1220.0±71.4, 800-1600 mg/dl in 45% and
2786.4±227.8, >1600 mg/dl in 55%). Thus, there was a significant difference
in IgG levels (p<0.01) between healthy and diarrheic groups. During the
neonatal period there were no
significant differences in IgG levels between calves at two to three days of
age and at ten days of age.
Discussion
Despite improved husbandry and hygiene, infectious disease remains the
leading cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal calves over three days
old. Numerous publications in the past three decades correlated neonatal
morbidity and mortality rates with low levels of serum immunoglobulins or
what has been popularly termed failure of passive transfer in calves (2, 3-5).
At this point, there are many contrasting opinions: Serum immunoglobulin
concentration is only one component of the neonatal complex immune
system, while hypogammaglobulinemia does not always result in infection or
death. Similarly, overwhelming sepsis can develop
in neonates that
ostensibly received adequate passive transfer; thus normal serum
immunoglobulin levels are not synonymous with immunity (6). In the present
study, it was observed that IgG levels were important in occurrence of calf
diarrhea, while the disease was also observed in calves with partial and
normal passive transfer.
In sera, colostral immunoglobulin levels peak at 24-48 hours thereafter
declining, each class according to its half-life until approximately 3 weeks of
age when the IgG levels begin to rise as the calf synthesizes immunoglobulin
(7). In calves that acquire adequate passive immunity after birth, the globulin
concentration drops to its nadir at about 2 months of age (8). Calves can be
tested for immune status when they are between 24 hours and 7 days of age.
In this study, while healthy 2 to 3 days old calves had a partial or normal
passive IgG transfer, they had partial and inadequate passive transfer by the
10th day.
The determination of serum immunoglobulin concentrations is the most
accurate means of assessing the passive immune status; however, the cost,
technical expertise, and the relevance of the results after 24 to 48 hours
required for running the test is a limiting factor. Several indirect methods of
determination are also available. These include zinc sulfate turbidity, sodium
sulfate precipitation, glutaraldehyde test, and serum refractometry (3).
The traditionally reliable SRID test, when accurately performed, can be used
as to screen which calves have absorbed sufficient immunoglobulin (4). In this
study also, the ability to identify failure of passive transfer in calves by
evaluating serum IgG concentration was good, and the SRID test was an
easy, practical and quantitative means of measurement.
In conclusion, however, IgG levels were important in occurrence of calf
diarrhea, the disease was also observed in calves with partial or normal
passive transfer, and SRID test for IgG measurements was practical and a
quantitative field test.
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