Studies on activation and levels of haemolytic complement of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). III. C3 haemolytic activity in health and chronic disease.

Estimation of haemolytic complement component C3 activity in serum was done by using buffalo serum functionally depleted of C3, with methylamine. In the one-step alternate pathway (AP) haemolytic assay, C3 activity in the serum was estimated by its capacity to reconstitute the AP haemolytic activity in C3 depleted serum. Levels of haemolytic C3 were determined in the sera of 70 apparently healthy buffaloes and of seven diseased buffaloes of which five were suffering from Johne's disease (JD) and two from JD and tuberculosis (TB). The haemolytic C3 levels in healthy animals varied with age, reaching peak values in the 2.5-3-year-old, declining after 4 years of age. The C3 levels in buffaloes suffering from chronic diseases was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the levels in healthy buffaloes of the same age group.