Colostral transfer of gamma glutamyl transpeptidase in calves

Abstract

Serum gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) levels in blood samples taken from normal calves which bad suckled colostrum were much higher than those found in healthy adult cattle. Levels of over 60 times the normal adult level were observed. These high levels of GGT took approximately 5 weeks to decline to adult values. Calves which appeared to have not received or absorbed colostrum had GGT levels which would be considered normal in adult cattle. A calf with serum gamma globulin levels which indicated an intermediate amount of colostrum absorption had a level of GGT which was intermediate between that expected for normal adult cattle and that found in calves which had more fully absorbed colostrum. The mean GGT level observed in colostrum from 6 newly-calved cows was over 800 times the mean serum GGT level of the same 6 cows. It therefore appears most likely that GGT is concurrently absorbed with colostrum by calves and this gives rise to the very high levels seen in normal calves. Calves with very high levels of serum GGT also had raised levels of alkaline phosphatase (AP) which slowly declined but never reached normal adult levels within the 53-day period of observation. It therefore appears that high levels of both GGT and AP are achieved by calves at the time of colostrum absorption and it is concluded that clinical interpretation of serum GGT and AP levels in young calves is closely dependent upon parallel knowledge of their serum gamma globulin levels.