The importance of milk for the growth and health of a newborn offspring is well known. Milk contains immunoglobulin G (Ig G), Ig A, lactoperoxidase, lactoferin, cytokines, and growth factors. Osteopontin, one of the multifunctional proteins, is secreted by macrophages, T cell, and epithelial cells. Although osteopontin production in bovine milk have been documented, the precise expression levels in bovine milk have not been clarified. The aim of this study was to observe the expression of osteopontin, in bovine milk during the lactation period or bovine mammary glands.

The levels of the serum and colostral total protein and immunoglobulins of the Korean native cows immediately after parturition and colostrum-conferred passive immune status of the Korean native calves were studied, and the results obtained were summarized as follows: The mean total protein, total immunoglobulin, IgG, IgM, and IgA concentrations in sera of 10 Korean native cows immediately after parturition were 6.8 +- 0.4g/dl, 24.39 +- 3.41mg/ml, 19.49 +- 2.70 mg/ml, 4.56 +- 1.14mg/ml, and 0.35 +-0.08 mg/ml respectively. And the mean total protein, total immunoglobulin, IgG, IgM, and IgA concentrations in colostrum were 15.0 +- 1.1 g/dl, 116.13 +- 23.07mg/ml, 101.51 +- 22.59mg/ml, 9.46 +- 1.99mg/ml, and 5.17 +- 1.59mg/ml respectively. The mean concentrations of total protein and immunoglobulins in colostrum were 2.1 times to 14.8 times higher than those in serum. The mean concentrations of total protein, total immunoglobulins in colostrum were 2.1 times to 14.8 times higher than those in serum. The mean concentrations of total protein, total immunoglobulin, IgG, IgM and IgA in sera from 211 Korean native calves at 2 days old were 6.7 +- 0.9g/dl, 35.74 +- 9.56mg/ml, 29.06 +-8.07mg/ml, 4.91+-2.99mg/ml, and 1.9 +- 0.99mg.ml respectively. Although the calves had been suckled the dam's colostrum, each of calves was considerably various in levels of serum total protein and immunoglobulins and 16.1 percent of the calves were in a state of hypoglobulinemia

The effects of the serum total protein and immunoglobulin levels of the colostrum-conferred Korean native calves at 2 days of age on the disease incidence during the suckling period were studied. Serum total protein, total immunoglobulin, IgG, and IgM levels of 6 Korean native calves died from septicemia were lower than those of calves survived (p0.05). Korean native calves having low serum total protein and immunoglobulins were affected with diarrhea earlier in life, when compared with calves having high serum levels (P0.05). Korea native calves having low serum total protein were affected with bronchopneumonia earlier in life, when compared with calves having high serum levels (P0.05). Korean native calves having low serum neutralizing antibody titers to bovine viral diarrhea virus had high incidence rate of BVD, when compared with calves having having high serum neutralizing antibody titers (P0.05)