Association Between Low Serum Zinc Concentration and Hypogammaglobulinemia in Foals of Different Age Categories

Zinc (Zn) is an essential trace element, and its deficiency causes defects in the response of the immune system, affecting the synthesis and secretion of γ-globulins. In this study, we evaluated serum Zn levels in race foals of different age categories to establish the relationship between subnormal values of Zn and decreased levels of γ-globulins. Decreased γ-globulin levels were accompanied by total protein and albumin serum levels that were within the normal range for the species. Serum Zn was measured in 304 foals (aged between 8 and 24 months), which were classified into three categories (weaning, yearling, and 2 years). The albumin/globulin ratio was 1.28 ± 0.2964 in the normal Zn group and 2.185 ± 0.818 (P < .001) in the low Zn group. Hypogammaglobulinemia was found to be more frequent in the yearling and in the 2-year-old category animals (P < .001 low Zn vs. normal Zn).