title: Seroepizootiology of Helicobacter pylori gastric infection in nonhuman primates housed in social environments.
abstract: We determined the seroepizootiology of Helicobacter pylori infection in rhesus monkeys. Plasma was obtained from 196 animals (age range, 1 to 22 years) that were housed in social environments, either in indoor gang cages, in outdoor corrals, or in free-ranging forested conditions. Plasma immunoglobulin G levels were determined with a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the cutoff immunoglobulin G value for H. pylori seropositivity was determined from a study of 25 monkeys whose infection status was assessed by light microscopy and culture. One-year-old animals of both genders in all housing conditions had the lowest rate of positivity (60% in monkeys 1 year old versus 81% in monkeys 2 to 10 years old, P = 0.026). In addition, females tended to have higher rates of positivity than males. Seroconversion during a 1-year observation period occurred in 7 (28%) of 25 seronegative animals. Seroreversion occurred in 3 (4%) of the 78 positive animals; all 3 of these animals had received antimicrobial agents during the year. These observations demonstrate that the epizootiology of H. pylori infection in rhesus monkeys may serve as a model for human infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dubois
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fiala
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Weichbrod
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nix
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Mehlman
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Taub
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Perez-Perez
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Blaser
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005756:Gastritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016481:Helicobacter Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016480:Helicobacter pylori / Q000276:immunology; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000635:transmission; D012931:Social Environment
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial