Comparative electrophoretic studies of bovine and human colostrum in relation to neonatal immunity

Abstract

Since there is no reason to doubt the generally accepted conception that the concentration of ƴ globulins is an accurate index of humoral immunity, it may be concluded that in bovines there is no transplacental transmission of specific immunity and that the acquired passive immunity of the calf results from the ingestion and absorption of the globulins present in high concentration in the colostrum. The human acquires its transmitted passive immunity exclusively in utero to a degree correlated with the immunity of its mother. This immunity is not influenced by the ingestion of colostrum from which the ƴ globulin component is absent.