Detection of inflammation in marine mammals

• Main Author: Funke, Christina
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2002
• Subjects: harbor seal; Killer Whale; Phoca vitulina; Killer whale
• Online Access: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/44524/; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/44524/1/Diss.%202002%20Funke,%20C.pdf

Traditionally used markers of inflammation have been proven to be influenced by physiologic parameters, age and sex that can interfere in the diagnosis of inflammatory conditions in marine mammals. The aim of this research was to improve the diagnosis of inflammatory diseases and the assessment of immune function in marine mammals by identification and validation of new clinical markers. Inflammation is the body's response to infection and tissue injury. Depending upon the nature and degree of the insult, inflammation can be localized or systemic. Inflammation is characterized in part by rapid production of acute phase proteins and cytokines. These soluble mediators act locally, though some can gain systemic access and have paracrine activity such as induction of fever by interleukin-6 (IL-6). This thesis project focused on the identification of a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) acute phase protein, C-reactive protein (C-RP) and a killer whale (Orcinus area) cytokine, interleukin-6 (IL-6), both mediators of the inflammatory response. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were developed and the highly sensitive cell-based B9 assay was used for clinical validation of IL-6 as a marker of inflammation. Upon validation, IL-6 quantification was converted to a TaqMan® real-time PCR platform measuring mRNA. Application of this latter technology was expanded to a wider range of cytokines in multiple species, including bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and California seal lions (Zalophus californianus). This study not only identifies and validates new clinical markers for inflammation in marine mammals, it also provides a foundation for the establishment of an array of real-time PCR based assays that can be used in both diagnostic and research applications.