@article{ab60d9961ac54f458e19b3cc249ebade,
title = "Development of a cytokine gene expression assay for the relative quantification of the African elephant (Loxodonta africana) cell-mediated immune responses",
abstract = "Immunological assays are the basis for many diagnostic tests for infectious diseases in animals and humans. Application in wildlife species, including the African elephant (Loxodonta africana), is limited however due to lack of information on immune responses. Since many immunoassays require both identified biomarkers of immune activation as well as species-specific reagents, it is crucial to have knowledge of basic immunological responses in the species of interest. Cytokine gene expression assays (GEAs) used to measure specific immune responses in wildlife have frequently shown that targeted biomarkers are often species-specific. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify elephant-specific cytokine biomarkers to detect immune activation and to develop a GEA, using pokeweed mitogen stimulated whole blood from African elephants. This assay will provide the foundation for the development of future cytokine GEAs that can be used to detect antigen specific immune responses and potentially lead to various diagnostic tests for this species.",
keywords = "African elephants, Gene expression assay, IL10, TGFβ, TNF",
author = "{de Waal}, {Candice R.} and L{\'e}anie Kleynhans and Parsons, {Sven D.C.} and Goosen, {Wynand J.} and Guy Hausler and Buss, {Peter E.} and Warren, {Robin M.} and {van Helden}, {Paul D.} and Landolfi, {Jennifer A.} and Miller, {Michele A.} and Kerr, {Tanya J.}",
note = "Funding Information: The authors wish to acknowledge the South African National Parks (SANParks) Veterinary Wildlife Services and the National Zoological Gardens for providing the samples. Financial support for this research was provided by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Centre for Tuberculosis Research, National Research Foundation (NRF) South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI grant 86949), the Harry Crossley Foundation (HCF), The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee and Stellenbosch University Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, South Africa. Funding to CRD was provided through NRF Innovation Master's Scholarship (grant 113511). Funding to TJK was provided through DSI-NRF PDP Fellowship within the SAMRC Centre for Tuberculosis Research. Opinions expressed, and conclusions arrived at, are those of the authors and are not necessarily to be attributed to the funders. Funding Information: The authors wish to acknowledge the South African National Parks (SANParks) Veterinary Wildlife Services and the National Zoological Gardens for providing the samples. Financial support for this research was provided by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Centre for Tuberculosis Research, National Research Foundation (NRF) South African Research Chair Initiative (SARChI grant 86949), the Harry Crossley Foundation (HCF), The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee and Stellenbosch University Faculty of Medicine and Health Science , South Africa. Funding to CRD was provided through NRF Innovation Master{\textquoteright}s Scholarship (grant 113511 ). Funding to TJK was provided through DSI-NRF PDP Fellowship within the SAMRC Centre for Tuberculosis Research. Opinions expressed, and conclusions arrived at, are those of the authors and are not necessarily to be attributed to the funders. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier Ltd",
year = "2021",
month = may,
doi = "10.1016/j.cyto.2021.155453",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "141",
journal = "Cytokine",
issn = "1043-4666",
publisher = "Academic Press Inc.",
}