TY - JOUR
T1 - Japanese macaque encephalomyelitis
T2 - A spontaneous multiple sclerosis-like disease in a nonhuman primate
AU - Axthelm, Michael K.
AU - Bourdette, Dennis N.
AU - Marracci, Gail H.
AU - Su, Weiping
AU - Mullaney, Elizabeth T.
AU - Manoharan, Minsha
AU - Kohama, Steven G.
AU - Pollaro, Jim
AU - Witkowski, Ellen
AU - Wang, Paul
AU - Rooney, William D.
AU - Sherman, Lawrence S.
AU - Wong, Scott W.
PY - 2011/9
Y1 - 2011/9
N2 - Objective: To describe Japanese macaque encephalomyelitis (JME), a spontaneous inflammatory demyelinating disease occurring in the Oregon National Primate Research Center's (ONPRC) colony of Japanese macaques (JMs, Macaca fuscata). Methods: JMs with neurologic impairment were removed from the colony, evaluated, and treated with supportive care. Animals were humanely euthanized and their central nervous systems (CNSs) were examined. Results: ONPRC's JM colony was established in 1965 and no cases of JME occurred until 1986. Since 1986, 57 JMs spontaneously developed a disease characterized clinically by paresis of 1 or more limbs, ataxia, or ocular motor paresis. Most animals were humanely euthanized during their initial episode. Three recovered, later relapsed, and were then euthanized. There was no gender predilection and the median age for disease was 4 years. Magnetic resonance imaging of 8 cases of JME revealed multiple gadolinium-enhancing T1-weighted hyperintensities in the white matter of the cerebral hemispheres, brainstem, cerebellum, and cervical spinal cord. The CNS of monkeys with JME contained multifocal plaque-like demyelinated lesions of varying ages, including acute and chronic, active demyelinating lesions with macrophages and lymphocytic periventricular infiltrates, and chronic, inactive demyelinated lesions. A previously undescribed gamma-herpesvirus was cultured from acute JME white matter lesions. Cases of JME continue to affect 1% to 3% of the ONPRC colony per year. Interpretation: JME is a unique spontaneous disease in a nonhuman primate that has similarities with multiple sclerosis (MS) and is associated with a novel simian herpesvirus. Elucidating the pathogenesis of JME may shed new light on MS and other human demyelinating diseases.
AB - Objective: To describe Japanese macaque encephalomyelitis (JME), a spontaneous inflammatory demyelinating disease occurring in the Oregon National Primate Research Center's (ONPRC) colony of Japanese macaques (JMs, Macaca fuscata). Methods: JMs with neurologic impairment were removed from the colony, evaluated, and treated with supportive care. Animals were humanely euthanized and their central nervous systems (CNSs) were examined. Results: ONPRC's JM colony was established in 1965 and no cases of JME occurred until 1986. Since 1986, 57 JMs spontaneously developed a disease characterized clinically by paresis of 1 or more limbs, ataxia, or ocular motor paresis. Most animals were humanely euthanized during their initial episode. Three recovered, later relapsed, and were then euthanized. There was no gender predilection and the median age for disease was 4 years. Magnetic resonance imaging of 8 cases of JME revealed multiple gadolinium-enhancing T1-weighted hyperintensities in the white matter of the cerebral hemispheres, brainstem, cerebellum, and cervical spinal cord. The CNS of monkeys with JME contained multifocal plaque-like demyelinated lesions of varying ages, including acute and chronic, active demyelinating lesions with macrophages and lymphocytic periventricular infiltrates, and chronic, inactive demyelinated lesions. A previously undescribed gamma-herpesvirus was cultured from acute JME white matter lesions. Cases of JME continue to affect 1% to 3% of the ONPRC colony per year. Interpretation: JME is a unique spontaneous disease in a nonhuman primate that has similarities with multiple sclerosis (MS) and is associated with a novel simian herpesvirus. Elucidating the pathogenesis of JME may shed new light on MS and other human demyelinating diseases.
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U2 - 10.1002/ana.22449
DO - 10.1002/ana.22449
M3 - Article
C2 - 21674589
AN - SCOPUS:80052597620
SN - 0364-5134
VL - 70
SP - 362
EP - 373
JO - Annals of Neurology
JF - Annals of Neurology
IS - 3
ER -