The aim of this study was to examine the effect of environmental contamination on the concentration of circulating immune complexes (CIC) in bovine blood. We determined that in a conventionally ecologically clear district, the CIC concentration in healthy bovine blood serum was within the limits of 0.18-0.52 mg/mL, (mean = 0.31 mg/mL, V = 30.14%). In a conventionally ecologically contaminated district, the CIC concentration in healthy bovine blood serum was detected within the limits of 0.48-0.99 mg/mL (mean = 0.65 mg/mL, V = 17.97%; P < 0.05). The CIC concentration in serum of bovine leukemia virus (BLV)-infected bovines from different districts was within the limits of 0.29-1.76 mg/mL (mean = 0.81 mg/mL, V = 36.67%; P < 0.05). According to these preliminary results of the investigation, it may be supposed that the increased concentration of CIC is closely related to the environmental contamination. Therefore, studies of CIC concentration in healthy mammals are of great importance for the monitoring of anthropogenic factors and can be exploited as an indicator of environmental contamination.
Copyright 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.