James P Higham1,2, Cornelia Kraus3, Christiane Stahl-Hennig4, Antje Engelhardt2, Dietmar Fuchs5, Michael Heistermann6. 1. Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY, 10003. 2. Jr Research Group "Sexual Selection", German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, Göttingen, 37077, Germany. 3. Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, Göttingen, 37077, Germany. 4. Unit of Infection Models, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, Göttingen, 37077, Germany. 5. Division of Biological Chemistry, Biocenter Innsbruck Medical University, Center for Chemistry and Biomedicine, Innrain 80, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. 6. Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Health, disease, and immune function are key areas of research in studies of ecology and evolution, but work on free-ranging primates has been inhibited by a lack of direct noninvasive measures of condition. Here, we evaluate the potential usefulness of noninvasive measurement of three biomarkers, the acute-phase proteins C-reactive protein (CRP) and haptoglobin, and neopterin, a by-product of macrophage activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We took advantage of veterinary checks on captive rhesus (24) and long-tailed (3) macaques at the German Primate Center (DPZ) to analyze serum marker measures, before measuring concentrations in feces and urine, and evaluating relationships between matched serum, urine, and fecal concentrations. In a second study, we monitored excretion of these markers in response to simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection and surgical tissue trauma, undertaken for a separate study. RESULTS: We found that each biomarker could be measured in each matrix. Serum and urinary concentrations of neopterin were strongly and significantly correlated, but neither haptoglobin nor CRP concentrations in excreta proxied circulating serum concentrations. Our infection study confirmed that urinary neopterin, in particular, is a reliable marker of viral infection in macaques, but also indicated the potential of urinary and fecal CRP and haptoglobin as indicators of inflammation. DISCUSSION: We highlight the potential of noninvasive markers of immune function, especially of urinary neopterin, which correlates strongly with serum neopterin, and is highly responsive to infection.
OBJECTIVES: Health, disease, and immune function are key areas of research in studies of ecology and evolution, but work on free-ranging primates has been inhibited by a lack of direct noninvasive measures of condition. Here, we evaluate the potential usefulness of noninvasive measurement of three biomarkers, the acute-phase proteins C-reactive protein (CRP) and haptoglobin, and neopterin, a by-product of macrophage activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We took advantage of veterinary checks on captive rhesus (24) and long-tailed (3) macaques at the German Primate Center (DPZ) to analyze serum marker measures, before measuring concentrations in feces and urine, and evaluating relationships between matched serum, urine, and fecal concentrations. In a second study, we monitored excretion of these markers in response to simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection and surgical tissue trauma, undertaken for a separate study. RESULTS: We found that each biomarker could be measured in each matrix. Serum and urinary concentrations of neopterin were strongly and significantly correlated, but neither haptoglobin nor CRP concentrations in excreta proxied circulating serum concentrations. Our infection study confirmed that urinary neopterin, in particular, is a reliable marker of viral infection in macaques, but also indicated the potential of urinary and fecal CRP and haptoglobin as indicators of inflammation. DISCUSSION: We highlight the potential of noninvasive markers of immune function, especially of urinary neopterin, which correlates strongly with serum neopterin, and is highly responsive to infection.
Authors: Emily J Levy; Laurence R Gesquiere; Emily McLean; Mathias Franz; J Kinyua Warutere; Serah N Sayialel; Raphael S Mututua; Tim L Wango; Vivian K Oudu; Jeanne Altmann; Elizabeth A Archie; Susan C Alberts Journal: Horm Behav Date: 2020-08-22 Impact factor: 3.587
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