Quantitative Determination of Bovine Serum Haptoglobin and Its Elevation in Some Inflammatory Diseases

Abstract

A modification of the method of Tarukoski was employed for the determination of bovine serum haptoglobin (Hp). A mixture of serum sample and diluted methemoglobin (Hb⁺) solution (30 mg/100 ml) was incubated with o-dianisidine reagent, pH 4.1, at 37°C for 45 min. Peroxidase activity of free Hb was found almost lost in the mixture, in which HpHb complex activity was well maintained. Relatively reliable values were obtained even in hemolyzed serum samples as long as the contaminating Hb was less than 150 mg/100 ml. The Hp values determined by this method were quite parallel to the results obtained by polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis. They were small or none in normal cattle, but remarkably large (80-130mg% HbBC) in cattle suffering from severe inflammatory diseases, such as mastitis, pyometra and traumatic reticulitis.