Postnatal development of blood serum concentrations of immunoglobulin IgG, IgA and IgM isotypes in suckling foals

Abstract

Postnatal changes in concentrations of immunoglobulin IgG, IgM and IgA isotypes from birth until the age of five months were monitored by the ELISA method. The experiment was performed in a group of 52 thoroughbred foals and their mothers. Among the investigated animals, failure of colostral immunity transfer was recorded in only four foals (7.7 percent). The concentrations of immunoglobulin IgG and IgA isotypes primarily decreased during the first weeks of life and then gradually increased until the end of the investigated period. The concentrations of immunoglobulin IgG isotype reached the values of adult animals by the end of the investigated period. However, immunoglobulin IgA isotype did not reach those values during the entire investigated period. The concentrations of immunoglobulin IgM isotype were quite rapidly increasing from the birth on. The beginning of active antibody formation was inversely proportional to the level of colostral immunoglobulins.