Methods

Samples Wild chimpanzees (P. t. verus) in the tropical rainforest of Taï National Park (5°15′-6°07′N, 7°25′-7°54′W), Côte d’Ivoire, have been studied for behavioural research for more than 30 years [20]. As part of the project’s veterinary monitoring, blood, muscle and samples from internal organs of 28 chimpanzee carcasses were collected over the last 12 years [26]. Previous research has shown that SIV can be detected NVP-BSK805 in these types of tissues [21]. Table 1 summarises the chimpanzees name, social group, sex, age, cause of death or sampling, and samples available for antibody testing and PCRs. Samples from 3 chimpanzees bleeding after a violent encounter with other chimpanzees were collected from the environment

and from 1 chimpanzee plasma was collected during surgical intervention [26-28; F. Leendertz, unpublished data]. Whole blood was collected from dead chimpanzees or from the environment from 31 chimpanzees; for one chimpanzee serum from fresh blood was obtained. The samples were transported on ice to the forest camp and frozen in liquid nitrogen. The samples were transported on dry ice to the Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, and stored in -80°C until analyses. The work was performed under the permission of the according authorities from Côte d’Ivoire. HIV antibody testing We tested samples from 32 chimpanzees with the INNO-LIA HIV I/II Score kit (Innogenetics, Gent, Belgium). The test is a line immuno-assay which is a commonly accepted and widely used confirmatory test for HIV [32]. This test MEK phosphorylation has also been commonly used to detect HIV cross-reactive antibodies in non-human primates and identified a large number of new SIV lineages, but positive samples in non-human primates should be confirmed with other more specific antibody tests and/or PCRs as false positive reactions can occur [33, 34, 41, 42]. The test is designed for use on serum or

plasma samples. We dissolved whole blood, which was preserved frozen since collection, with 0.2 ml of PBS and used the supernatant for the test, as well as plasma from one chimpanzee (blood centrifuged directly after collection under anaesthesia). In the INNO-LIA HIV I/II Score kit antigens from HIV-1 and HIV-2 are coated as discrete lines on a nylon strip. There are five HIV-1 antigens: sgp120 and gp41, Fenbendazole which detect specific antibodies to the HIV-1 envelope, and p31, p24, and p17, which detect antibodies to HIV-1 pol and gag but may also cross react with HIV-2. The antigens gp36 and selleck products sgp105 are applied to detect antibodies to HIV-2 envelope proteins. For each antigen a coloured band develop in proportion to the HIV-antibodies present in the sample. The strength of the reaction is read in comparison to control bands on each strip; one for +/- cut off level, one for 1+ reaction and one for 3+ reaction. Two samples (Leo and Olduvai) were retested in another batch to confirm the results.