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Abstract
Lymphocryptovirus (LCV) is one of the major gena in the herpesvirus family and is widely disseminated among primates. LCVs of human and rhesus macaques are shown to be causative agents of a number of malignant diseases including lymphoma and carcinoma. Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are highly endangered and the least studied species of the great apes. Considering the potential pathogenicity of the LCV that might threaten the fate of wild bonobos, population-based epidemiological information in terms of LCV prevalence in different location of Bonobo’s habitats will help propose improved conservation strategies for the bonobos. However, such data are not available yet because it is very difficult to collect blood samples in the wild and thus virtually impossible to conduct sero-epidemiological study on the wild ape. In order to overcome this issue, we focused on evaluating anti-LCV IgA in the feces of bonobos, which are available in a non-invasive manner. Preliminary study showed that anti-LCV IgA but not IgG was efficiently and reproducibly detected in the feces of captive chimpanzees. It is noteworthy that the fecal IgA-positive individuals were seropositive for both anti-LCV IgG and IgA and that the IgA antibodies in both sera and feces were also detectable by Western blotting assay. These results indicate that the detection of fecal anti-LCV IgA is likely a reliable and feasible for epidemiological surveillance of LCV prevalence in the great apes. We then applied this method and found that 31% of wild bonobos tested were positive for anti-LCV IgA antibody in the feces. Notably, the positivity rates varied extensively among their sampled populations. In conclusion, our results in this study demonstrate that LCV is highly disseminated among wild bonobos while the prevalence is remarkably diverse in their population-dependent manner.
Highlights
Genetic studies have shown that chimpanzees and bonobos diverged within the last million years or so (Becquet and Przeworski, 2007; Hey, 2010; Takemoto et al, 2015)
In order to test the possibility, we needed to overcome the following hurdles; (i) if the great apes infected with LCV could become positive for IgA as well as IgG against LCV in sera similar to human cases, (ii) if the anti-LCV IgA level could be correlated with that of IgG in sera, considering the possibility that individuals infected with LCV were negative for anti-LCV IgA while were positive for anti-LCV IgG, and (iii) if the IgA and/or IgG could be efficiently eluted and detectable in the feces
In order to test the possibility, we needed to overcome the following hurdles; (i) if the great apes infected with LCV could become positive for IgA as well as IgG against LCV in sera similar to human cases, (ii) if the anti-LCV IgA level could be correlated with that of IgG, considering the possibility that individuals infected with LCV were negative for anti-LCV IgA while positive for anti-LCV IgG, and (iii) if the IgA and/or IgG could be efficiently eluted and detectable in the feces
Summary
Genetic studies have shown that chimpanzees and bonobos diverged within the last million years or so (Becquet and Przeworski, 2007; Hey, 2010; Takemoto et al, 2015). Estimates of total surviving numbers have increased from about 200,000 in the 1980s to a maximum of approximately 300,000 in 2003 (Oates, 2006). This growth in population is due in large part to conservation efforts by humans. Prior to the civil war, their population was estimated at around 29,500–50,0001 Their numbers have likely been reduced to a half of pre-war estimates as a result of habitat loss and concurrent increases in hunting over the last two decades (Nackoney et al, 2014). It is critical to continue ecological studies regarding endangered wild bonobos in order to better understand what factors are most important in their survival (Hickey et al, 2013)
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