Possible factors influencing the immunoglobulin M concentration in swine colostrum

The immunoglobulin (Ig) M concentration in swine colostrum was determined by the single radial immunodiffusion method, using 157 samples collected from the same number of farm-raised sows in Yamaguchi Prefecture of Japan during 1976 and 1977. The mean IgM value was 4.16 +/- 1.11 mg/ml, and the maximum and minimum values were 7.74 mg/ml and 1.50 mg/ml, respectively. To elucidate the possible factors influencing the IgM concentration in swine colostrum, the following 12 items were surveyed in the present study: season, district, breed, age, udder section (mamma) from which colostral samples were collected, kind of feed, 4 vaccinations (swine erysipelas live-organism vaccine, hog cholera live-virus vaccine, Japanese encephalitis live-virus vaccine, and transmissible gastroenteritis live-virus vaccine), type of farming, and number of sows raised on a farm. Relationships between the IgM concentration in swine colostrum and each item were analyzed. Of the 12 items, 3 items--season, breed, and vaccination of swine erysipelas live-organism vaccine--were the most influential on the IgM concentration in colostra of farm-raised sows. Five items--district, age, kind of feed, vaccination with transmissible gastroenteritis live-virus vaccine, and number of sows raised on a farm--were moderately influential. The remaining items--udder section, vaccinations with hog cholera live-virus vaccine and Japanese encephalitis live-virus vaccine, and type of farming--were poorly influential. The multiple correlation coefficient obtained here was 0.5605 (P greater than 0.05).