title: Comparison of cortisol and thyroid hormones between tuberculosis-suspect and healthy elephants of Nepal.
abstract: We compared cortisol and thyroid hormone (T3 and T4) concentrations between tuberculosis (TB)-suspected (n=10) and healthy (n=10) elephants of Nepal. Whole blood was collected from captive elephants throughout Nepal, and TB testing was performed using the ElephantTB STAT-PAK®and DPP VetTB®serological assays that detect antibodies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. bovis in elephant serum. Cortisol, T3 and T4 were quantified by competitive enzyme immunoassays, and the results showed no significant differences in hormone concentrations between TB-suspect and healthy elephants. These preliminary data suggest neither adrenal nor thyroid function is altered by TB disease status. However, more elephants, including those positively diagnosed for TB by trunk wash cultures, need to be evaluated over time to confirm results.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Wildlife Biology and Medicine, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0818, Japan.
authors.forename: Sarad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paudel
authors.forename: Janine L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Sharada
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thapaliya
authors.forename: Ishwari P
authors.initials: IP
authors.lastname: Dhakal
authors.forename: Susan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Mikota
authors.forename: Kamal P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Gairhe
authors.forename: Michito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimozuru
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsubota
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D004606:Elephants; D005260:Female; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology; D009390:Nepal; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood*; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood*; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013974:Thyroxine; D006854:Hydrocortisone