Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Testing immunity failure in Holstein Friesian calves with diarrhea
By Sala, Giulia et al.·Published in Veterinary research communications·2023·Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science (DIVAS), Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Assessing failure of transfer of passive immunity by gamma-glutamyl-transferase activity and serum refractometry in holstein-friesian calves affected by neonatal diarrhea.
- Species:
- cattle
Plain-English summary
A group of Holstein Friesian calves aged 1 to 10 days with diarrhea were tested to see if they had a problem with getting enough antibodies from their mothers, a condition known as failure of transfer of passive immunity (FTPI). Researchers found that measuring total protein in the blood was more accurate for diagnosing FTPI in calves that were not dehydrated, while measuring a specific enzyme (GGT) was better for dehydrated calves aged 3 to 10 days. This means that depending on the calf's hydration status and age, different tests can help veterinarians determine if the calf is receiving adequate immunity.
People also search for: calf diarrhea treatment · Holstein Friesian calf immunity · diagnosing calf dehydration · GGT test for calves · passive immunity in newborn calves
Abstract
Hardly published data are available to diagnose the failure of transfer of passive immunity (FTPI) in calves affected by neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD). This study evaluated the diagnostic performance and differences among optical serum total protein (STP) concentration and gamma-glutamyl-transferase (GGT) activity for assessing FTPI in diarrheic Holstein Friesian calves. 72 diarrheic and 19 healthy Holstein Friesian calves aged 1 to 10 days were enrolled. Each calf underwent a complete clinical examination and dehydration assessment. The effect of dehydration status and age on the correlation between the two methods under study (STP and GGT) and the gold standard (Immunoglobulin G [IgG] measured with RID) was investigated with Spearman's correlation index R for ranks. Serum total protein concentration and GGT activity were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to identify the optimal cut-off point to distinguish between diarrheic calves with or without FTPI, also considering the effects of dehydration and age. The results show that GGT activity was affected by the age of calves, while STP was influenced by dehydration. The cut-offs to distinguish calves with IgG < 10 g/L were < 52 g/L of STP in normohydrated calves, < 58 g/L of STP in dehydrated calves, and < 124 IU/L of GGT in calves with aged between 3 and 10 days. In nondehydrated diarrheic calves, the STP refractometer showed better diagnostic accuracy.In dehydrated calves aged between 3 and 10 days, however, its accuracy drops, and it is advisable to use GGT activity.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37314566/