title: Japanese macaque encephalomyelitis: a spontaneous multiple sclerosis-like disease in a nonhuman primate.
abstract: 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 T(1) -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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pathobiology and Immunology, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Michael K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Axthelm
authors.forename: Dennis N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Bourdette
authors.forename: Gail H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Marracci
authors.forename: Weiping
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Elizabeth T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Mullaney
authors.forename: Minsha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manoharan
authors.forename: Steven G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kohama
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pollaro
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Witkowski
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: William D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Rooney
authors.forename: Lawrence S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.forename: Scott W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D000818:Animals; D001259:Ataxia / Q000209:etiology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D004679:Encephalomyelitis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000473:pathology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D006564:Herpesviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008251:Macaca; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000473:pathology*; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D010243:Paralysis / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D002556:Cerebrospinal Fluid Proteins