Equine IgG Test Kit Radial...

Description

Equine IgG Test Kit Radial Immunodiffusion Test Kit

Radial Immunodiffusion Test for Quantitation of Equine IgG in Serum or Plasma.

1. Intended Use:

The quantification of equine IgG in postsuckle foals aid in the diagnosis of failure of passive transfer.

2. Summary

Single radial immunodiffusion tests have evolved from the work of Fahey and McKelvey1 and Mancini et al2.  They are specific for the various proteins in serum or other fluids and depend on the reaction of each protein with its specific antibody.

When the wells in antibody containing gels are completely filled with the antigen, the precipitin rings which develop after 10-20 hours at room temperature are measured.  The diameter of the ring and the logarithm (base 10) of the protein concentration are related in a linear fashion.  Using appropriate reference standards, the concentration of unknown samples may be measured.

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is one of the first line of defenses against encapsulated bacteria and streptococci.  The majority of the newborns IgG is obtained from the dam's colostrum in the first 16 hours after birth providing the foal nurses.  This is called passive transfer.  In passive transfer the IgG from colostrum provides antibodies to infectious agents that the dam has been exposed to or immunized against.  The time it takes IgG to drop to half it's original titer in mammals ranges from 20 to 30 days.  The foal can start producing it's own IgG in sufficient quantities after 30 to 80 days.

The newborn foal lacks significant quantities of immunoglobulins.  Thus, the antibodies which are passively transmitted from the dam via the colostrum are essential for the protection of the foal during the first weeks of life.  Hypogammaglobulinemia has been reported in foals.  This condition was attributed primarily to failure of passive transfer of antibody from dam to foal and was accompanied by infections resulting in the death of two of the eight affected foals. ¹⁴

     A study on a group of horses of different breed, age and condition, all suffering from chronic diarrhea, has been published¹⁵  A hypogammaglob-ulinemia A was reported in 11 of 12 horses in addition to a general decrease in cell-mediated immunity and inflammatory responsiveness.