ACUTE PHASE PROTEINS AND CAPILLARY ZONE ELECTROPHORESIS IN CLINICALLY NORMAL GIANT PANDA (AILUROPODA MELANOLEUCA) AND COMPARISON TO CLINICALLY ILL GIANT PANDA

Protein electrophoresis and acute phase proteins are valuable clinical diagnostic tools to identify inflammation. This study evaluated capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) for clinically normal giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) against individuals that were clinically ill. Assay validation for C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), and haptoglobin (HP) was also attempted. Using CZE, total protein, alpha-1 and -2, beta globulins, beta-2 globulins, and gamma globulins were observed to be significantly higher, and albumin:globulin, pre-albumin, and albumin were significantly lower in clinically abnormal giant pandas (p < 0.05). Among the tested APPs, reactivity was only found for CRP reagents and was significantly higher in abnormal giant panda (p = 0.045).