Evaluating the change in immunoglobulin G and accuracy of assessing transfer of passive immunity during the first 7 days of age in Holstein dairy calves fed colostrum replacer

ABSTRACT: Accurate diagnosis of failure of transfer of passive immunity is an important component for dairy herd management goals and involves measurement of serum IgG in young calves. However, it is not well understood how IgG concentration changes over the first week of life. The primary objective...

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Main Authors: H.M. Goetz, M.A. Steele, K. Nott, H.R. McCarthy, A.J. Lopez, M.C. Cantor, D.L. Renaud
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Journal of Dairy Science
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030225002589
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author H.M. Goetz
M.A. Steele
K. Nott
H.R. McCarthy
A.J. Lopez
M.C. Cantor
D.L. Renaud
author_facet H.M. Goetz
M.A. Steele
K. Nott
H.R. McCarthy
A.J. Lopez
M.C. Cantor
D.L. Renaud
author_sort H.M. Goetz
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT: Accurate diagnosis of failure of transfer of passive immunity is an important component for dairy herd management goals and involves measurement of serum IgG in young calves. However, it is not well understood how IgG concentration changes over the first week of life. The primary objective of this cohort study was to evaluate how blood serum IgG concentrations change in dairy calves fed colostrum replacer during the first 7 d of life. This cohort study combined data collected from 4 different studies that evaluated different colostrum management strategies. Daily blood samples and health scores were collected during the first 7 d of life in male and female Holstein calves between May 2021 to August 2023 (n = 365). Serum was separated and analyzed in a commercial laboratory via radial immunodiffusion to determine IgG concentrations. Results were further categorized based on IgG concentration into “excellent” (25.0 g/L), “good” (18.0–24.9 g/L), “fair” (10.0–17.9 g/L), and “poor” (<10.0 g/L) categories. Mixed linear regression models were used to determine the effect of day of sampling relative to birth and d-1 transfer of passive immunity (TPI) classification on change in IgG concentration, whereas mixed ordinal logistic regression models were built to evaluate the odds of being in a different TPI category on d 2 through 7 compared with d 1 of life. A random effect for calf within trial was included in all models. The median (range) IgG concentration on d 1 (i.e., between 24 and 48 h of age) was 22.3 g/L (8.1–43.1 g/L) and decreased to a median of 11.7 g/L (4.8–60.1 g/L) on d 7. When IgG values were categorized, there was an increase in calves with poor TPI (3.3% of calves on d 1 to 33.5% of calves on d 7) across the first 7 d of life. In the mixed linear regression models, all days were statistically different from IgG measured on d 1. Specifically, IgG progressively decreased each day relative to d 1 until d 6. In the mixed effects ordinal logistic regression model, the odds of being categorized into a different passive immunity category on d 2 relative to d 1 based on IgG was 0.43 (95% CI = 0.29–0.63), which continued to decline on d 3 through 7. This study shows that calf age at the time of assessing TPI affects interpretation of serum IgG in calves fed colostrum replacer. Thus, serum IgG should be assessed between 24 and 48 h of age when feasible, to consistently evaluate passive immunity status when serum IgG is highest in colostrum replacer-fed calves.
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spelling doaj-art-fa3864ee3ed94be78e96df0d0123479a2025-08-20T03:47:32ZengElsevierJournal of Dairy Science0022-03022025-06-0110866340634810.3168/jds.2024-25854Evaluating the change in immunoglobulin G and accuracy of assessing transfer of passive immunity during the first 7 days of age in Holstein dairy calves fed colostrum replacerH.M. Goetz0M.A. Steele1K. Nott2H.R. McCarthy3A.J. Lopez4M.C. Cantor5D.L. Renaud6Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1; Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1Department of Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, College Park, PA 16802Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1; Corresponding authorABSTRACT: Accurate diagnosis of failure of transfer of passive immunity is an important component for dairy herd management goals and involves measurement of serum IgG in young calves. However, it is not well understood how IgG concentration changes over the first week of life. The primary objective of this cohort study was to evaluate how blood serum IgG concentrations change in dairy calves fed colostrum replacer during the first 7 d of life. This cohort study combined data collected from 4 different studies that evaluated different colostrum management strategies. Daily blood samples and health scores were collected during the first 7 d of life in male and female Holstein calves between May 2021 to August 2023 (n = 365). Serum was separated and analyzed in a commercial laboratory via radial immunodiffusion to determine IgG concentrations. Results were further categorized based on IgG concentration into “excellent” (25.0 g/L), “good” (18.0–24.9 g/L), “fair” (10.0–17.9 g/L), and “poor” (<10.0 g/L) categories. Mixed linear regression models were used to determine the effect of day of sampling relative to birth and d-1 transfer of passive immunity (TPI) classification on change in IgG concentration, whereas mixed ordinal logistic regression models were built to evaluate the odds of being in a different TPI category on d 2 through 7 compared with d 1 of life. A random effect for calf within trial was included in all models. The median (range) IgG concentration on d 1 (i.e., between 24 and 48 h of age) was 22.3 g/L (8.1–43.1 g/L) and decreased to a median of 11.7 g/L (4.8–60.1 g/L) on d 7. When IgG values were categorized, there was an increase in calves with poor TPI (3.3% of calves on d 1 to 33.5% of calves on d 7) across the first 7 d of life. In the mixed linear regression models, all days were statistically different from IgG measured on d 1. Specifically, IgG progressively decreased each day relative to d 1 until d 6. In the mixed effects ordinal logistic regression model, the odds of being categorized into a different passive immunity category on d 2 relative to d 1 based on IgG was 0.43 (95% CI = 0.29–0.63), which continued to decline on d 3 through 7. This study shows that calf age at the time of assessing TPI affects interpretation of serum IgG in calves fed colostrum replacer. Thus, serum IgG should be assessed between 24 and 48 h of age when feasible, to consistently evaluate passive immunity status when serum IgG is highest in colostrum replacer-fed calves.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030225002589colostrum managementpassive immunitycalf health
spellingShingle H.M. Goetz
M.A. Steele
K. Nott
H.R. McCarthy
A.J. Lopez
M.C. Cantor
D.L. Renaud
Evaluating the change in immunoglobulin G and accuracy of assessing transfer of passive immunity during the first 7 days of age in Holstein dairy calves fed colostrum replacer
Journal of Dairy Science
colostrum management
passive immunity
calf health
title Evaluating the change in immunoglobulin G and accuracy of assessing transfer of passive immunity during the first 7 days of age in Holstein dairy calves fed colostrum replacer
title_full Evaluating the change in immunoglobulin G and accuracy of assessing transfer of passive immunity during the first 7 days of age in Holstein dairy calves fed colostrum replacer
title_fullStr Evaluating the change in immunoglobulin G and accuracy of assessing transfer of passive immunity during the first 7 days of age in Holstein dairy calves fed colostrum replacer
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating the change in immunoglobulin G and accuracy of assessing transfer of passive immunity during the first 7 days of age in Holstein dairy calves fed colostrum replacer
title_short Evaluating the change in immunoglobulin G and accuracy of assessing transfer of passive immunity during the first 7 days of age in Holstein dairy calves fed colostrum replacer
title_sort evaluating the change in immunoglobulin g and accuracy of assessing transfer of passive immunity during the first 7 days of age in holstein dairy calves fed colostrum replacer
topic colostrum management
passive immunity
calf health
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030225002589
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