Evaluation Of Serum Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin, Cystatin C, and Clusterin Concentrations in Neonatal Calf Diarrhea

Neonatal Calf Diarrhea

Abstract

Neonatal diarrhea adversely affects calf growth, overall health, and productivity. Many factors such as poor environmental conditions, less colostrum intake, infectious and parasitic factors contribute to the development of calf diarrhea. Diarrhea, which is one of the most important causes of calf deaths all over the world, causes significant economic losses of the correct diagnosis and treatment are not made. Systemic inflammatory response and kidney injury are crucial components associated with the pathogenesis and progression of neonatal diarrhea. Early detection and management of these conditions are essential for minimizing their detrimental effects and improving calf health outcomes. However, traditional biomarkers such as haptoglobin and creatinine have limitations in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. This study aimed to investigate the potential of emerging markers, including neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), cystatin C, and clusterin, in assessing inflammation and kidney injury in neonatal calves with diarrhea. The levels of NGAL, cystatin C, clusterin, haptoglobin, and creatinine were measured and compared among the groups. The results showed no significant differences in NGAL and cystatin C concentrations between the diarrheic calves and healthy calves. However, there was a significant increase in serum clusterin concentration in calves infected with E. coli compared to other pathogen-infected calves and healthy calves. Moreover, a moderate positive correlation was observed between clusterin and creatinine concentrations, suggesting a potential association between clusterin and kidney injury. These findings highlight the potential of clusterin as a marker for kidney dysfunction in neonatal calves with diarrhea, particularly in cases of E. coli infection. This study will contribute to the diagnosis and treatment in field conditions, while shedding light on the parameters used in the early diagnosis of calf diarrhea. Further research is needed to investigate the underlying mechanisms and evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of clusterin in assessing the severity and progression of kidney dysfunction in affected calves.