Sterile pyuria in a population of wild white‐handed gibbons (Hylobates lar)

Abstract

Urinalysis is an emerging method for monitoring the health and energy balance of wild primates. Here, we report the first urinalysis of wild gibbons. We used multi-reagent test strips to monitor the health status of 52 individual white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) inhabiting Khao Yai National Park, Thailand. Most urinary reference values were within normal ranges; however, regardless of age- and sex-class or monthly fruit productivity, we found unexpectedly high rates of urinary leukocytes (50% and 90% of individuals in 2001-2003 and 2006, respectively). In contrast to previous studies of African apes, this finding is coupled with the near absence of urinary nitrites, demonstrating pervasive levels of sterile pyuria. This result is the first reported case of sterile pyuria in a population of wild primates. The etiology of human sterile pyuria is diverse, but in all cases it is diagnostic of systemic inflammation. We discuss the potential causes of sterile pyuria in the gibbons of Khao Yai.

Urological Screening of a Wild Group of Japanese Macaques (Macaca fuscata yakui): Investigating Trends in Nutrition and Health

“…The range of pH that we observed in this study (5-8) was similar to that observed among gibbons (Beaman et al 2009) and chimpanzees of West Africa (Leendertz et al 2010), but considerably less alkaline than in studies of chimpanzees in East Africa (Kaur and Huffman 2004;Krief et al 2005) and mountain gorillas (Sleeman and Mudakikwa 1998). Like ketonuria, diet is an important factor mediating urinary pH; shifting from a diet dominated by vegetables to one dominated by animal proteins will acidify urinary pH (Remer 2000(Remer , 2001Siener and Hesse 2002).…”

“…Reagan et al 2007). Whether high urine concentrations or pH levels are generally a cause of proteinuria remains uncertain, but given that proteins were the most commonly detected analyte in this study, and have been commonly observed in similarly small amounts in the urine of other wild primates (Beaman et al 2009;Kaur and Huffman 2004;cf. Krief et al 2005;Leendertz et al 2010), positive test results for small amounts of proteins may not indicate an underlying urological condition.…”

“…Current modes of noninvasive health monitoring of primates in situ typically include, but are not limited to, behavioral observations of clinically manifest symptoms of disease (Huffman et al 1993(Huffman et al , 1996Huffman and Seifu 1989;Krief et al 2005;Lonsdorf et al 2006;Pebsworth et al 2006), or of more subtle behavioral changes associated with impairment (Alados and Huffman 2000;MacIntosh et al 2011), sampling for gastrointestinal parasites (Chapman et al 2009;Gillespie 2006) and other diseases (Boesch 2008;Kaur et al 2008), and examining the relationship between stress levels and disease risk (Chapman et al 2007;Muehlenbein 2006). Recently, studies investigating the use of urological sampling in monitoring various other aspects of primate health have also been increasing (Beaman et al 2009;Kaur and Huffman 2004;Kelly et al 2004;Knott 1998;Leendertz et al 2010;Pebsworth et al 2006;Sleeman and Mudakikwa 1998).…”

“…As a result, dipstick urinalysis is typically followed up with more specific, quantitative tests if positive results are found or if symptoms persist in their absence. Despite these concerns, dipstick urinalysis may still provide useful information during the screening of general urological health in primate populations, and may be used to inform future decisions concerning plans for intervention in a conservation and management context (Beaman et al 2009;Kaur and Huffman 2004;Sleeman and Mudakikwa 1998).…”

A longitudinal study of urinary dipstick parameters in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Côte d'Ivoire

“…They provide rapid screening mainly for diseases of the kidney and the urogenital tract, carbohydrate metabolism disorders (diabetes mellitus), liver diseases, and hemolytic disorders. The dip sticks are widely used in human and veterinary medicine; however, their use is not yet well documented for wild primates in general, and only a few studies contribute to baseline data on urinary parameters in wild chimpanzees [Beaman et al, 2009;Kaur & Huffman, 2004;Kelly et al, 2004;Knott, 1998;Krief et al, 2005;Sleeman & Mudakikwa, 1998]. Furthermore, the studies on chimpanzees include a relatively low number of samples collected from a limited number of months of the year, and provide data on the East African subspecies only.…”