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12 June 2020 IMMUNOMEDIATOR GENE TRANSCRIPTION PROFILING IN BELUGA WHALE (DELPHINAPTERUS LEUCAS) CLINICAL CASES
Amelia R. Hofstetter, William Van Bonn, Randy E. Sacco
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Abstract

There is an unmet need for specific diagnostics of immune perturbations and inflammation in beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) clinical care. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) has been used to measure immunomediator gene transcription in beluga whales. The study hypothesis was that a qPCR-based immunomediator assay would supplement routine clinical data with specific and sensitive information on immune status. Two beluga whale clinical cases provided an opportunity to test this hypothesis: a whale with a skin laceration and a whale with gastrointestinal inflammation. Mitogen-stimulated immunomediator gene transcription (MSIGT) was compared between the cases and healthy contact whales. In both case studies, mitogens increased transcription of IL1B, PTGS2 (Cox-2), TNF, HIF1A, and IL2 but decreased IL10 transcription in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from the abnormal whale over the control. Correlations were identified between most immunomediators tested and one or more standard blood clinical values. Considering all 15 immunomediators tested, the whale with gastrointestinal inflammation had a more unique MSIGT signature than the whale with a laceration. These results support further elucidation of beluga whale PBMC cytokine profiles for use as immune biomarkers.

Copyright 2020 by American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
Amelia R. Hofstetter, William Van Bonn, and Randy E. Sacco "IMMUNOMEDIATOR GENE TRANSCRIPTION PROFILING IN BELUGA WHALE (DELPHINAPTERUS LEUCAS) CLINICAL CASES," Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 51(2), 334-349, (12 June 2020). https://doi.org/10.1638/2018-0225
Accepted: 2 December 2019; Published: 12 June 2020
KEYWORDS
beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas)
biomarker
cytokine
Diagnostic
mRNA
quantitative PCR (qPCR)
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