{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,9]],"date-time":"2026-10-09T14:22:12Z","timestamp":1791555732871,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,17]],"date-time":"2026-02-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1771286400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Mercedes Zachariassen foundation"},{"name":"Estonian Research Council project IUT8-1"},{"name":"European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development as KESTO project"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study investigated the associations between acute-phase proteins (APPs) such as serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp), and albumin (Alb) as well as immunoglobulin G (IgG) with bovine respiratory disease (BRD), seroconversion to respiratory infections and farm-level factors in rearing calves. Datasets were obtained from a randomised trial of 476 calves in Finland that compared morbidity in large- versus small-group housing. Calves were assessed for clinical BRD, and their blood was sampled three times during the first 50 rearing days to measure APPs and IgG concentrations and virus-specific antibodies against Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), bovine parainfluenza virus 3 (BPIV3), and bovine coronavirus (BCV). Linear mixed-effects regression models showed higher serum SAA and Hp concentrations in calves with clinical BRD. BRSV seroconversion was associated with increased serum SAA and lower Alb while M. bovis seroconversion with increased serum Hp. Calves in larger groups had lower serum Hp, SAA and Alb, and pens with higher BRD cases were associated with increased serum SAA and lower Alb. IgG concentration was associated with BRSV seroconversion. These results suggest that early immune monitoring using APPs and IgG could help guide targeted management strategies to improve calf health and welfare.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani16040639","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,17]],"date-time":"2026-02-17T09:22:46Z","timestamp":1771320166000},"page":"639","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Association of Acute-Phase Proteins and IgG with Bovine Respiratory Disease, Seroconversion to Respiratory Infections and Farm-Level Factors in Rearing Calves"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3364-338X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rohish","family":"Kaura","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51006 Tartu, Estonia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2274-4188","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elisabeth","family":"Dorbek-Sundstr\u00f6m","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51006 Tartu, Estonia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3751-7092","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leena","family":"Sepp\u00e4-Lassila","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Production Animal Medicine, University of Helsinki, Paroninkuja 20, 04920 Saarentaus, Finland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vera","family":"Talvitie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Production Animal Medicine, University of Helsinki, Paroninkuja 20, 04920 Saarentaus, Finland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jarkko","family":"Oksanen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Municipal Veterinarian, Oulu Environment Office, Solistinkatu 2, 90140 Oulu, Finland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ulla","family":"Rikula","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Virology Research Unit, Department of Animal Diseases and Food Safety Research, Finnish Food Authority Ruokavirasto, Mustialankatu 3, 00790 Helsinki, Finland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tuomas","family":"Herva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Atria Ltd., AtriaBeef, Mikkolantie 16, 90310 Oulu, Finland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0080-4378","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kerli","family":"M\u00f5tus","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51006 Tartu, Estonia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Timo","family":"Soveri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Production Animal Medicine, University of Helsinki, Paroninkuja 20, 04920 Saarentaus, Finland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Heli","family":"Simojoki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Production Animal Medicine, University of Helsinki, Paroninkuja 20, 04920 Saarentaus, Finland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4895-8029","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Toomas","family":"Orro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51006 Tartu, Estonia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"07896","article-title":"Welfare of calves","volume":"21","author":"Nielsen","year":"2023","journal-title":"EFSA J."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Eurostat (2025, August 25). 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