抄録
The object of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of measuring the differences in the values of the serum total protein (DVSTP) concentration of foals and the refractometry index (DVRI) of the milk of dams before and after nursing of the colostrum for assessing failure of passive transfer (FPT) in foals. Serum samples from 31 foals were collected before the first nursing and at another 1 to 6 times between 4 and 24 hr after birth. The paired colostrum and milk samples were collected from 14 of their dams at the same time. Serum samples were analyzed for IgG concentration using a single radial immunodiffusion (SRID) test (98 samples) and total protein concentration using a temperature-compensating refractometer (98 samples). Colostrum and milk samples were analyzed for refractometry index (RI) using a Brix refractometer (71 samples). DVSTP concentration and DVRI were significantly correlated with serum IgG concentration. The negative predictive value (NPV) of DVSTP concentration for detecting serum IgG concentrations <400 and <800 mg/dl were 98.2 and 91.3%, respectively. Furthermore, the NPV of DVRI for detecting serum IgG concentrations <400 and <800 mg/dl were 97.3 and 96.3%, when the cutoff value is set to 6 and 10%, respectively. The results suggest that measurement of the DVRI is useful in assessing FPT as an initial “stall-side” screening test, because it is procedurally easier to perform, is more cost-effective than any commercially available test kit, and allows for rapid interpretation.
