HAPTOGLOBIN CONCENTRATION IN THE SERUM OF EUROPEAN BISON (BISON-BONASUS L.)

Concentrations of haptoglobin, an acute phase glycoprotein were determ ined in 149 sera of European bison (Bison bonasus L.) living as free r anging herds in Bialowieza Forest (Poland). The values of Hp concentra tion ranged from 0 to 470 mg/l independently of age and sex. This prot ein was present in very small amounts in 92% of samples, as in many Bo vidae, Haptoglobin concentration higher than 50 mg/l was found only in 8% of the samples, and occurred about three times more often (p = 0.0 6) in the pathological group (13%), than in normal sera (4.2%).