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Serum protein concentrations as predictors of serum immunoglobulin G concentration in neonatal foals
Author(s) -
Hurcombe Samuel D. A.,
Matthews Adriel L.,
Scott Victoria H. L.,
Williams Jarred M.,
Kohn Catherine W.,
Toribio Ramiro E.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of veterinary emergency and critical care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.886
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1476-4431
pISSN - 1479-3261
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-4431.2012.00794.x
Subject(s) - medicine , albumin , immunoglobulin g , prospective cohort study , globulin , antibody , c reactive protein , andrology , immunology , gastroenterology , inflammation
Abstract Objective To determine the predictive value of serum concentrations of total protein (s TP ), albumin (s A lb), and globulin (s G lob) measured by automated calorimetric assays to estimate serum immunoglobulin G (s I g G ) concentrations in neonatal foals and identify failure of transfer of passive immunity when compared to turbidoimmunometric assay determinations of s I g G . Design Retrospective and prospective analysis of laboratory data. Setting University tertiary care facility. Animals Group 1 (retrospective): foals ( n = 45) ≤7 days of age in which s I g G , s G lob, s A lb, and s TP concentrations were measured on an automated chemistry analyzer. Group 2 (prospective): foals ( n = 31) ≤7 days of age with same laboratory data collected used to validate equations generated from group 1 foals. Interventions Spearman rank correlations between measured s I g G and serum protein concentrations were performed. When significant correlation was found, s I g G was estimated using an s G lob simple linear regression and estimated using a s G lob, s TP , and s A lb multiple linear regression. Comparisons between estimated and measured s I g G was performed using K ruskal‐ W allis testing. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated to identify foals with s I g G < 8.0 g/L [<800 mg/dL]. Measurements and Main Results sIg G was correlated with s G lob, s TP , and s A lb (ρ = 0.8, 0.6, and –0.3, respectively; P < 0.05). Estimated s I g G and measured s I g G were not different ( P > 0.9). In group 1 foals, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 73%, 76%, 73%, and 83%, respectively, for s G lob, and 90%, 76%, 75%, and 90%, respectively, for multiple proteins estimated s I g G identification of failure of transfer of passive immunity. Test qualities were improved in group 2 foals. Conclusions Serum protein concentrations may be used to estimate s I g G concentrations in newborn foals. Further investigation using a larger sample size is needed to validate this methodology of assessing humoral immunity in neonatal foals.