TY - JOUR
T1 - Urinary neopterin of wild chimpanzees indicates that cell-mediated immune activity varies by age, sex, and female reproductive status
AU - Negrey, Jacob D.
AU - Behringer, Verena
AU - Langergraber, Kevin E.
AU - Deschner, Tobias
N1 - Funding Information:
We are grateful to the Uganda Wildlife Authority, Uganda National Council for Science and Technology, and the Makerere University Biological Field Station for permission to work in Kibale National Park. For material and logistical help, we thank Chris Aliganyira, Sam Angedakin, Natasha Bartolotta, Charles Birungi, Jeremy Clift, Claudia Collet-Herf, Rebecca Davenport, Melissa Emery Thompson, Ben Finkel, Brian Kamugyisha, Cheryl Knott, Christina Kompo, Kevin Lee, Fabian Leendertz, Godfrey Mbabazi, John Mitani, Lawrence Ndangizi, Rachna Reddy, Joshua Rukundo, Aaron Sandel, Vera Schmeling, Alfred Tumusiime, Ambrose Twineomujuni, and David Watts. This study was funded by the National Science Foundation (Award 1613393), Wenner-Gren Foundation, National Geographic Society (Award 9824-15), Nacey Maggioncalda Foundation, National Institute on Aging (Award 5R01AG049395), Boston University, and Max Planck Society.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - The study of free-living animal populations is necessary to understand life history trade-offs associated with immune investment. To investigate the role of life history strategies in shaping proinflammatory cell-mediated immune function, we analyzed age, sex, and reproductive status as predictors of urinary neopterin in 70 sexually mature chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda. In the absence of clinical signs of acute infectious disease, neopterin levels significantly increased with age in both male and female chimpanzees, as observed in humans and several other vertebrate species. Furthermore, males exhibited higher neopterin levels than females across adulthood. Finally, females with full sexual swellings, pregnant females, and post-reproductive females, the oldest individuals in our sample, exhibited higher neopterin levels than lactating females and cycling females without full swellings. Variation in females’ neopterin levels by reproductive status is consistent with post-ovulatory and pregnancy-related immune patterns documented in humans. Together, our results provide evidence of ample variation in chimpanzee immune activity corresponding to biodemographic and physiological variation. Future studies comparing immune activity across ecological conditions and social systems are essential for understanding the life histories of primates and other mammals.
AB - The study of free-living animal populations is necessary to understand life history trade-offs associated with immune investment. To investigate the role of life history strategies in shaping proinflammatory cell-mediated immune function, we analyzed age, sex, and reproductive status as predictors of urinary neopterin in 70 sexually mature chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda. In the absence of clinical signs of acute infectious disease, neopterin levels significantly increased with age in both male and female chimpanzees, as observed in humans and several other vertebrate species. Furthermore, males exhibited higher neopterin levels than females across adulthood. Finally, females with full sexual swellings, pregnant females, and post-reproductive females, the oldest individuals in our sample, exhibited higher neopterin levels than lactating females and cycling females without full swellings. Variation in females’ neopterin levels by reproductive status is consistent with post-ovulatory and pregnancy-related immune patterns documented in humans. Together, our results provide evidence of ample variation in chimpanzee immune activity corresponding to biodemographic and physiological variation. Future studies comparing immune activity across ecological conditions and social systems are essential for understanding the life histories of primates and other mammals.
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U2 - 10.1038/s41598-021-88401-6
DO - 10.1038/s41598-021-88401-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 33927233
AN - SCOPUS:85105179192
SN - 2045-2322
VL - 11
JO - Scientific reports
JF - Scientific reports
IS - 1
M1 - 9298
ER -