Bovine haptoglobin response in clinically defined field conditions.

In order to assess the usefulness of haptoglobin as a measure of the acute phase response in cattle, the concentration of serum haptoglobin was estimated in the non-infectious conditions of milk fever and ketosis, and in the infectious conditions of severe mastitis, acute severe metritis, retained placenta and chronic endometritis. Mean haptoglobin concentrations were normal in cattle with non-infectious conditions and chronic endometritis but significantly increased in cattle with infectious conditions.