Blood and Colostrum/Milk Serum γ-Glutamyltransferase Activity as a Predictor of Passive Transfer Status in Lambs

The importance of blood and colostrum/milk serum γ-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) enzyme activity was evaluated to assess passive transfer status in healthy lambs. Thirty Akkaraman sheep (3–6 years old) were used which had normal pregnancy period and the same conditions, and the age of the lambs ranged between 0 and 15 days. Blood and colostrum/milk samples were collected from sheep and lambs after birth, before suckling (0) and after on 1st, 3rd, 7th and 15th days. Serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration was determined by the use of Single Radial Immunodiffusion method. Serum γ-GT activity was measured, using a commercially available kit in blood and colostrum/milk samples. Correlations were carried out between immunoglobulin and γ-GT levels. Regression models (simple and multiple) were calculated with significant data. Linear correlation was determined between colostrum/milk γ-GT activity and IgG concentrations and between serum γ-GT activity and IgG concentrations in lambs on the 0 day. (r: 0.607, P: 0.001), 1st (r: 0.768, P: 0.001) and the 3rd (r: 0.603, P: 0.001) days and on the 1st (r: 0.637, P: 0.001) and 3rd (r: 0.478, P: 0.012) days in the experiment, respectively. Multivariate regression models were developed to estimate sample IgG concentration. Serum and colostrum/milk IgG concentration could be predicted using the formula: lamb serum IgG = 825 + 0.688 (lamb γ-GT) + 52 (days); colostrum/milk IgG = 832 + 0.505 (colostrum/milk γ-GT) − 167 (days). The regression models were moderately accurate in predicting serum IgG concentration (R2 = 0.51) and colostrum/milk IgG concentration (R2 = 0.55). Test sensitivity and positive predictive values for serum γ-GT enzyme activity were found to be 96 and 100% and for colostrum/milk γ-GT enzyme activity were found to be 100 and 68% to prediction IgG concentration. Serum and colostrum/milk γ-GT activity can be used to assess passive transfer status of lambs. Along with this, regression models used to calculate serum and colostrum/milk γ-GT activities found to be useful to estimate sample IgG concentration. The use of serum and colostrum/milk γ-GT enzyme activity was found useful especially after birth on the 0, 1st and 3rd days.