Serum Immunoglobulin Levels in Grey Collies (35314)

Sera from a group of grey collies with cyclic bone marrow maturation arrest and sera from a group of adult collies who carry the autosomal recessive grey gene were quantitated for immunoglobulin levels. These levels were compared with a group of normal adult collies and a litter of age-matched normal collie pups. No cyclic variation in immunoglobulin levels were found in the grey collies. However, the appearance of significantly increased levels of serum immunoglobulins in the young grey collies, suggested that the impetus of repeated infections accelerated the development of serum immunoglobulins as a compensatory host defense mechanism. In the group of adult collie carriers of the grey gene no abnormal immunoglobulin pattern was found which might identify the heterozygote.