Serum Health Biomarkers in African and Asian Elephants: Value Ranges and Clinical Values Indicative of the Immune Response
Serum biomarkers indicative of inflammation and disease can provide useful information regarding host immune processes, responses to treatment and prognosis. The aims of this study were to assess the use of commercially available anti-equine reagents for the quantification of cytokines (tumor necros...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/10/1756 |
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| author | Katie L. Edwards Michele A. Miller Jessica Siegal-Willott Janine L. Brown |
| author_facet | Katie L. Edwards Michele A. Miller Jessica Siegal-Willott Janine L. Brown |
| author_sort | Katie L. Edwards |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Serum biomarkers indicative of inflammation and disease can provide useful information regarding host immune processes, responses to treatment and prognosis. The aims of this study were to assess the use of commercially available anti-equine reagents for the quantification of cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukins (IL) 2, 6, and 10) in African (<i>Loxodonta africana</i>, n = 125) and Asian (<i>Elephas maximus</i>, n = 104) elephants, and alongside previously validated anti-human reagents for acute-phase proteins (serum amyloid A and haptoglobin), calculate species-specific biomarker value ranges. In addition, we used opportunistically collected samples to investigate the concentrations of each biomarker during identified clinical cases of illness or injury, as a first step to understanding what biomarkers may be useful to managing elephant health. Immune biomarkers were each elevated above the calculated species-specific value ranges in at least one clinical case, but due to variability in both clinical and non-clinical samples, only serum amyloid A was significantly higher in clinical compared to non-clinical paired samples, with tendencies for higher TNF-α and IL-10. We also detected increased secretion of serum amyloid A and all five cytokines following routine vaccination of a single Asian elephant, indicating that these biomarkers can be beneficial for studying normal immune processes as well as pathology. This study indicates that assays developed with commercial reagents can be used to quantify health biomarkers in wildlife species and identifies several that warrant further investigation to elucidate immune responses to various pathologies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:00:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6073577fa19647d8890a07d0a13d35d7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:00:46Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-6073577fa19647d8890a07d0a13d35d72023-11-20T15:17:32ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152020-09-011010175610.3390/ani10101756Serum Health Biomarkers in African and Asian Elephants: Value Ranges and Clinical Values Indicative of the Immune ResponseKatie L. Edwards0Michele A. Miller1Jessica Siegal-Willott2Janine L. Brown3Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USADepartment of Science and Innovation-National Research Foundation Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, South African Medical Research Council Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town 8000, South AfricaDepartment of Wildlife Health Sciences, Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC 20008, USACenter for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USASerum biomarkers indicative of inflammation and disease can provide useful information regarding host immune processes, responses to treatment and prognosis. The aims of this study were to assess the use of commercially available anti-equine reagents for the quantification of cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukins (IL) 2, 6, and 10) in African (<i>Loxodonta africana</i>, n = 125) and Asian (<i>Elephas maximus</i>, n = 104) elephants, and alongside previously validated anti-human reagents for acute-phase proteins (serum amyloid A and haptoglobin), calculate species-specific biomarker value ranges. In addition, we used opportunistically collected samples to investigate the concentrations of each biomarker during identified clinical cases of illness or injury, as a first step to understanding what biomarkers may be useful to managing elephant health. Immune biomarkers were each elevated above the calculated species-specific value ranges in at least one clinical case, but due to variability in both clinical and non-clinical samples, only serum amyloid A was significantly higher in clinical compared to non-clinical paired samples, with tendencies for higher TNF-α and IL-10. We also detected increased secretion of serum amyloid A and all five cytokines following routine vaccination of a single Asian elephant, indicating that these biomarkers can be beneficial for studying normal immune processes as well as pathology. This study indicates that assays developed with commercial reagents can be used to quantify health biomarkers in wildlife species and identifies several that warrant further investigation to elucidate immune responses to various pathologies.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/10/1756Acute phase proteinsacquired immunitycytokinesElephas maximusELISAequine |
| spellingShingle | Katie L. Edwards Michele A. Miller Jessica Siegal-Willott Janine L. Brown Serum Health Biomarkers in African and Asian Elephants: Value Ranges and Clinical Values Indicative of the Immune Response Animals Acute phase proteins acquired immunity cytokines Elephas maximus ELISA equine |
| title | Serum Health Biomarkers in African and Asian Elephants: Value Ranges and Clinical Values Indicative of the Immune Response |
| title_full | Serum Health Biomarkers in African and Asian Elephants: Value Ranges and Clinical Values Indicative of the Immune Response |
| title_fullStr | Serum Health Biomarkers in African and Asian Elephants: Value Ranges and Clinical Values Indicative of the Immune Response |
| title_full_unstemmed | Serum Health Biomarkers in African and Asian Elephants: Value Ranges and Clinical Values Indicative of the Immune Response |
| title_short | Serum Health Biomarkers in African and Asian Elephants: Value Ranges and Clinical Values Indicative of the Immune Response |
| title_sort | serum health biomarkers in african and asian elephants value ranges and clinical values indicative of the immune response |
| topic | Acute phase proteins acquired immunity cytokines Elephas maximus ELISA equine |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/10/1756 |
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