Activity of transgene-produced B-domain-deleted factor VIII in human plasma following AAV5 gene therapy.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapies can restore endogenous factor VIII (FVIII) expression in hemophilia A (HA). AAV vectors typically use a B-domain-deleted FVIII transgene, such as human FVIII-SQ in valoctocogene roxaparvovec (AAV5-FVIII-SQ). Surprisingly, the activity of transgene-produced FVIII-SQ was between 1.3 and 2.0 times higher in one-stage clot (OS) assays than in chromogenic-substrate (CS) assays, whereas recombinant FVIII-SQ products had lower OS than CS activity. Transgene-produced and recombinant FVIII-SQ showed comparable specific activity (international units per milligram) in the CS assay, demonstrating that the diverging activities arise in the OS assay. Higher OS activity for transgene-produced FVIII-SQ was observed across various assay kits and clinical laboratories, suggesting that intrinsic molecular features are potential root causes. Further experiments in 2 participants showed that transgene-produced FVIII-SQ accelerated early factor Xa and thrombin formation, which may explain the higher OS activity based on a kinetic bias between OS and CS assay readout times. Despite the faster onset of coagulation, global thrombin levels were unaffected. A correlation with joint bleeds suggested that both OS and CS assay remained clinically meaningful to distinguish hemophilic from nonhemophilic FVIII activity levels. During clinical development, the CS activity was chosen as a surrogate end point to conservatively assess hemostatic efficacy and enable comparison with recombinant FVIII-SQ products. Relevant trials are registered on clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02576795 and #NCT03370913 and, respectively, on EudraCT (European Union Drug Regulating Authorities Clinical Trials Database; https://eudract.ema.europa.eu) as #2014-003880-38 and #2017-003215-19.

Laboratory issues in gene therapy and emicizumab.

The treatment options for the haemostatic disorders, haemophilia A and haemophilia B, have progressed rapidly over the last decade. The introduction of extended half-life recombinant factor VIII (FVIII) and factor IX (FIX) concentrates to replace these missing clotting factors highlighted discordance between one-stage activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT)-based clotting factor assays and chromogenic factor assays with some products. This raised awareness of the importance of investigation of potential reagent or assay differences by pharmaceutical companies. In 2017, the FVIII mimetic, emicizumab, was approved as a prophylactic treatment for haemophilia A patients with anti-FVIII inhibitors. The mechanism of action of emicizumab causes interference with some commonly used haemostasis tests including the APTT and its associated one-stage APTT-based clotting assays. Chromogenic assays may also be affected but this is dependent on the particular constituents of the reagents. Chromogenic assays containing human factor IXa (FIXa) and factor X (FX) are sensitive to the presence of emicizumab but those containing bovine FIXa and FX are unaffected. Many haemostasis laboratories have been required to evaluate new assays to enable accurate monitoring of emicizumab in patient plasma. A number of gene therapy approaches have been trialled in both haemophilia A and haemophilia B but there are scant data published on the measurement of FVIII and FIX in these patients and whether there are discrepancies between reagents or assay methodologies.

Hemophilia B Gene Therapy with a High-Specific-Activity Factor IX Variant.

BACKGROUND: The prevention of bleeding with adequately sustained levels of clotting factor, after a single therapeutic intervention and without the need for further medical intervention, represents an important goal in the treatment of hemophilia. METHODS: We infused a single-stranded adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector consisting of a bioengineered capsid, liver-specific promoter and factor IX Padua (factor IX-R338L) transgene at a dose of 5×1011 vector genomes per kilogram of body weight in 10 men with hemophilia B who had factor IX coagulant activity of 2% or less of the normal value. Laboratory values, bleeding frequency, and consumption of factor IX concentrate were prospectively evaluated after vector infusion and were compared with baseline values. RESULTS: No serious adverse events occurred during or after vector infusion. Vector-derived factor IX coagulant activity was sustained in all the participants, with a mean (±SD) steady-state factor IX coagulant activity of 33.7±18.5% (range, 14 to 81). On cumulative follow-up of 492 weeks among all the participants (range of follow-up in individual participants, 28 to 78 weeks), the annualized bleeding rate was significantly reduced (mean rate, 11.1 events per year [range, 0 to 48] before vector administration vs. 0.4 events per year [range, 0 to 4] after administration; P=0.02), as was factor use (mean dose, 2908 IU per kilogram [range, 0 to 8090] before vector administration vs. 49.3 IU per kilogram [range, 0 to 376] after administration; P=0.004). A total of 8 of 10 participants did not use factor, and 9 of 10 did not have bleeds after vector administration. An asymptomatic increase in liver-enzyme levels developed in 2 participants and resolved with short-term prednisone treatment. One participant, who had substantial, advanced arthropathy at baseline, administered factor for bleeding but overall used 91% less factor than before vector infusion. CONCLUSIONS: We found sustained therapeutic expression of factor IX coagulant activity after gene transfer in 10 participants with hemophilia who received the same vector dose. Transgene-derived factor IX coagulant activity enabled the termination of baseline prophylaxis and the near elimination of bleeding and factor use. (Funded by Spark Therapeutics and Pfizer; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02484092 .).

A field study evaluating the activity of N8-GP in spiked plasma samples at clinical haemostasis laboratories.

AIM: N8-GP (turoctocog alfa pegol) is a glycoPEGylated, extended half-life human recombinant factor VIII (FVIII) shown to be an efficacious treatment for patients with haemophilia A. Accurate monitoring of replacement therapy helps ensure proper dosing, leading to better patient care. The objective of this field study was to evaluate the accuracy and intra- and inter-laboratory variabilities of N8-GP and rAHF (Advate® ) FVIII activity (FVIII:C) measurements in clinical laboratories using their routine methods and reagents. METHODS: Laboratories measured plasma samples spiked with 0.03, 0.2, 0.6 and 0.9 IU/mL N8-GP or rAHF. Samples were blinded, and laboratories were instructed to perform evaluations using their routine FVIII activity assays and calibrators. RESULTS: Of the 67 participating laboratories from 25 countries, 60 used a one-stage assay, 36 used a chromogenic assay, and 29 used both one-stage and chromogenic assays. Participating laboratories used nine different activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) reagents, the most common being SynthASil® and Actin® FS. Most aPTT reagents recovered N8-GP close to target. Three silica-based aPTT reagents (APTT-SP, TriniCLOT™ and STA® PTT-Automate) underestimated N8-GP, recovering 40%-83% of target concentration. For chromogenic assays, N8-GP and rAHF recoveries were comparable at all concentrations, with overall mean recoveries for both products close to 130%. Assay variability was similar for both assay types and both products; inter-laboratory variability was greater than intra-laboratory variability and highest at 0.03 IU/mL. CONCLUSIONS: Most clinical laboratories accurately measured N8-GP and rAHF when using their in-house one-stage or chromogenic FVIII:C assays. However, three silica-based aPTT reagents underestimated N8-GP recovery.

Estimation of Nuwiq® (simoctocog alfa) activity using one-stage and chromogenic assays-Results from an international comparative field study.

BACKGROUND: Accurate determination of coagulation factor VIII activity (FVIII:C) is essential for effective and safe FVIII replacement therapy. FVIII: C can be measured by one-stage and chromogenic substrate assays (OSAs and CSAs, respectively); however, there is significant interlaboratory and interassay variability. AIMS: This international comparative field study characterized the behaviour of OSAs and CSAs used in routine laboratory practice to measure the activity of Nuwiq® (human-cl rhFVIII, simoctocog alfa), a fourth-generation recombinant human FVIII produced in a human cell line. METHODS: FVIII-deficient plasma was spiked with Nuwiq® or Advate® at 1, 5, 30 and 100 international units (IU)/dL. Participating laboratories analysed the samples using their routine procedures and equipment. Accuracy, inter- and intralaboratory variation, CSA:OSA ratio and the impact of different OSA and CSA reagents were assessed. RESULTS: Forty-nine laboratories from 9 countries provided results. Mean absolute FVIII:C was comparable for both products at all concentrations with both OSA and CSA, with interproduct ratios (Nuwiq® :Advate® ) of 1.02-1.13. Mean recoveries ranged from 97% to 191% for Nuwiq® , and from 93% to 172% for Advate® , with higher recoveries at lower concentrations. Subgroup analyses by OSA and CSA reagents showed minor variations depending on reagents, but no marked differences between the two products. CSA:OSA ratios based on overall means ranged from 0.99 to 1.17 for Nuwiq® and from 1.01 to 1.17 for Advate® . CONCLUSIONS: Both OSAs and CSAs are suitable for the measurement of FVIII:C of Nuwiq® in routine laboratory practice, without the need for a product-specific reference standard.

Effects of Oritavancin on Coagulation Tests in the Clinical Laboratory.

Previous studies have shown that some lipoglycopeptide and lipopeptide antimicrobial agents may cause falsely elevated values for some phospholipid-dependent coagulation tests. The effect of oritavancin, a lipoglycopeptide antibiotic, on coagulation test results was explored using pooled human plasma samples spiked with drug and in a clinical study after an infusion of a single 1,200-mg intravenous dose of oritavancin in normal healthy volunteers. Pooled plasma with oritavancin added ex vivo showed concentration-dependent prolongation of prothrombin time/international normalized ratio (PT/INR), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and dilute Russell viper venom time (DRVVT) test results. In contrast, oritavancin had no effect on the activated protein C resistance assay, chromogenic anti-factor Xa assay (anti-FXa), thrombin time, and an immunoassay for the laboratory diagnosis of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. In participants that received a single dose of oritavancin, elevations in PT/INR result, aPTT, DRVVT, activated clotting time, and silica clotting time occurred, with the maximum times to resolution of test interference determined to be 12, 120, 72, 24, and 18 h, respectively. The anti-FXa assay was unaffected, whereas transient elevations in D dimer levels were observed in 30% of participants, with a maximum time to resolution of 72 h. Although oritavancin has no impact on the coagulation system in vivo, a single dose of oritavancin can produce falsely elevated values of some coagulation tests used to monitor hemostasis. The interference of oritavancin on affected tests is transient, and the test results revert to normal ranges within specified times after dosing.

Factor Activity Assays for Monitoring Extended Half-Life FVIII and Factor IX Replacement Therapies.

The advent of modified factor VIII (FVIII) and factor IX (FIX) molecules with extended half-lives (EHLs) compared with native FVIII and FIX represents a major advance in the field of hemophilia care, with the potential to reduce the frequency of prophylactic injections and/or to increase the trough level prior to subsequent injections. Monitoring treatment through laboratory assays will be an important part of ensuring patient safety, including any tailoring of prophylaxis. Several approaches have been used to extend half-lives, including PEGylation, and fusion to albumin or immunoglobulin. Some of these modifications affect factor assays as routinely performed in hemophilia centers; so, laboratories will need to use FVIII and FIX assays which have been shown to be suitable on a product-by-product basis. For some products, there are marked differences between results obtained using one-stage or chromogenic assays and results obtained using different reagents in the one-stage assay. The laboratory should use an assay in which the recovery of the product closely aligns with the assay used by the pharmaceutical company to assign potency to the product, so that the units reported by the laboratory agree with those used to demonstrate efficacy of the product during clinical trials. Reported assay differences in relation to several of the EHL FVIII and FIX molecules will be reviewed in this article.

Factor IX assay discrepancies in the setting of liver gene therapy using a hyperfunctional variant factor IX-Padua.

BACKGROUND: Limited information exists regarding the factor IX (FIX) coagulant activity (FIX:C) measured by different assays following FIX-Padua gene therapy. OBJECTIVE: Assess for the first time FIX:C in five commonly used coagulation assays in plasma samples from hemophilia B subjects receiving FIX-Padua gene transfer. METHODS: FIX:C was compared between central (n = 1) and local laboratories (n = 5) in the study, and across four commonly used FIX:C one-stage assays and one FIX:C chromogenic assay. For comparison, samples of pooled congenital FIX-deficient plasma spiked with purified recombinant human FIX (rHFIX)-Padua protein or rHFIX (nonacog alfa) to obtain FIX:C concentrations from ~20% to ~40% were tested. RESULTS: FIX:C results at local laboratories strongly correlated with central laboratory results. However, absolute values at the central laboratory were consistently lower than those at local laboratories. Across five different FIX:C assays, a consistent pattern of FIX:C was observed for subjects receiving fidanacogene elaparvovec-expressed gene transfer. Use of Actin FSL activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) reagent in the central laboratory resulted in lower FIX:C values compared with other APTT reagents tested. The chromogenic assay determined lower FIX:C than any of the one-stage assays. The rHFIX-Padua protein-spiked samples showed similar results. In contrast, FIX:C results for rHFIX-nonacog alfa measured within 25% of expected for all one-stage assays and below 25% in the chromogenic assay. CONCLUSIONS: Assay-based differences in FIX:C were observed for fidanacogene elaparvovec transgene product and rHFIX-Padua protein, suggesting the variable FIX:C determined with different assay reagents is inherent to the FIX-Padua protein and is not specific to gene therapy-derived FIX-Padua.

The physiology and neurochemistry of self-injurious behavior: a nonhuman primate model.

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) is a serious behavioral condition that afflicts millions of individuals in the United States alone. The underlying factors contributing to the development of self-injury in people are poorly understood, and existing treatment strategies for this condition are limited. A low but persistent percentage of socially reared individually housed rhesus monkeys also spontaneously develop SIB. Data obtained from colony records suggest that the risk of developing SIB in socially reared rhesus monkeys is heightened by adverse early experience and subsequent stress exposure. The present review summarizes the physiological and neurochemical findings obtained in this nonhuman primate model of SIB, focusing on monoamine neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and neuroendocrine systems. The results indicate that monkeys with SIB exhibit long-lasting disturbances in central and peripheral opioid and stress response systems, which lead to increased levels of anxiety. Based on these findings, we propose an integrated developmental-neurochemical hypothesis in which SIB arises from adverse life events in a subset of vulnerable monkeys, is maintained by a persisting dysregulation of several neurochemical and physiological systems, and functions to periodically reduce anxiety when the levels of anxiety become excessive. Implications of this hypothesis for understanding self-injury in patients with borderline personality disorder and members of the general population are discussed.

The efficacy of diazepam treatment for the management of acute wounding episodes in captive rhesus macaques.

The spontaneous development of self-injurious behavior (SIB) in singly housed monkeys poses a challenge for their management and well-being in captivity. Relatively little information is available on effective treatments for SIB. This study examined the effects of diazepam (Valium) on self-wounding and other abnormal behaviors in eight individually housed male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Each monkey's response to an anxiolytic dose of diazepam (1 mg/kg or greater orally) was compared with the animal's behavior during drug-free periods. When examined across all animals, treatment with diazepam did not significantly alter wounding frequency or rates of self-directed biting without wounding. However, closer examination of the data revealed that four of the animals showed significant decreases in self-biting and wounding frequency (positive responders, PR group), whereas the remaining monkeys showed a trend towards increased wounding frequency (negative responders, NR group). Subsequent examination of colony and veterinary records demonstrated that compared with NR monkeys, PR monkeys had spent significantly more years in individual cage housing and had experienced a greater number of minor veterinary procedures. PR animals also were significantly less likely to have a documented history of self-biting behavior. Our findings suggest that SIB is not a homogeneous disorder in rhesus monkeys; rather, distinct subtypes exist that require different treatment approaches.

Pharmacological blockade of alpha2-adrenoceptors induces reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior in squirrel monkeys.

Converging evidence suggests a role for noradrenergic mechanisms in stress-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking in animals. Yohimbine, an alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonist, is known to be anxiogenic and induce stress-related responses in humans and animals. Here, we tested the ability of yohimbine to reinstate cocaine-seeking behavior and induce behavioral and physiological signs characteristic of stress in squirrel monkeys. Monkeys were trained to self-administer cocaine under a second-order schedule of i.v. drug injection. Drug seeking subsequently was extinguished by substituting saline for cocaine injections and omitting the cocaine-paired stimulus. The ability of yohimbine and the structurally distinct alpha(2)-adrenoceptor antagonist RS-79948 to reinstate cocaine-seeking behavior was assessed by administering priming injections immediately before test sessions in which the cocaine-paired stimulus was either present or absent. Priming injections of yohimbine (0.1-0.56 mg/kg, i.m.) or RS-79948 (0.01-0.1 mg/kg, i.m.) induced dose-related reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior. The magnitude of yohimbine-induced reinstatement was similar regardless of the presence or absence of the cocaine-paired stimulus. Yohimbine also significantly increased salivary cortisol levels, a physiological marker of stress, as well as scratching and self-grooming, behavioral markers of stress in nonhuman primates. In drug interaction experiments, pretreatment with the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor agonist clonidine (0.1-0.3 mg/kg, i.m.) dose-dependently inhibited yohimbine-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking. In contrast, pretreatment with the dopamine receptor antagonist flupenthixol failed to inhibit yohimbine-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking. The results show that pharmacological blockade of alpha(2)-adrenoceptors can induce reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior and characteristic stress responses in squirrel monkeys, providing a potentially useful model of stress-induced relapse to drug seeking.

Altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical function in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) with self-injurious behavior.

Individually housed rhesus monkeys sometimes spontaneously develop self-injurious behavior (SIB) in the form of self-directed biting that, on occasion, results in severe tissue damage and mutilation. We previously demonstrated lower levels of plasma cortisol in rhesus monkeys with a history of self-wounding (SW) when compared to non-wounders (NW). Furthermore, cortisol levels were negatively correlated with rates of self-directed biting. The present study was designed to further characterize the relationships between hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) activity, self-wounding, and self-directed biting. Basal 24-h urinary free cortisol excretion, the urinary free cortisol response to a low dose of dexamethasone, and the plasma cortisol response to ACTH were examined in 24 individually housed rhesus monkeys, based on wounding history, i.e. the presence/absence of a veterinary record of self-wounding, and current rates of self-directed biting, i.e. the median split of self-directed biting frequency (independent of wounding status). There were no reliable group differences on any of the physiological measures when analyzed by wounding history. However, the plasma cortisol response 30 min post-ACTH stimulation was significantly correlated with wounding recency, such that lower responsivity was associated with more recent wounding episodes. When the results were analyzed on the basis of biting frequency, high frequency biters (HFB) compared to low frequency biters (LFB) showed decreased HPA negative feedback sensitivity to dexamethasone and a trend towards an attenuated plasma cortisol response to ACTH stimulation. These findings suggest that SIB in socially reared monkeys is associated with complex changes in HPA axis function that are related to the expression of the pathology, i.e. self-directed biting, and to the recency of a wounding episode. It remains to be determined whether humans who exhibit SIB show similar alterations in HPA function.

Role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior in squirrel monkeys.

RATIONALE: Stress has been suggested to play a role in relapse to cocaine-seeking behavior. An important physiological system activated by stress is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis; however, evidence for a role of HPA axis activation in cocaine relapse has been contradictory. OBJECTIVES: This study examined the effects of pharmacological stimulation of the HPA axis on reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior and salivary cortisol levels in a non-human primate model of cocaine relapse. In addition, the effect of corticotropin releasing hormone type 1 receptor (CRH-R1) blockade on cocaine priming-induced reinstatement was investigated. METHODS: Squirrel monkeys were trained to self-administer cocaine under a second-order schedule in which behavior was maintained by IV drug injections and a drug-paired visual stimulus. A period of extinction was then imposed during which saline was substituted for cocaine and the stimulus was omitted. Subsequently, monkeys were tested for reinstatement of cocaine seeking following priming injections of drugs. During reinstatement tests, the drug-paired stimulus was restored. Salivary cortisol levels were determined to measure the effects of drug treatments on the HPA axis activity. RESULTS: Priming with corticotropin releasing hormone (10 and 50 microg/kg), adrenocorticotropic hormone (1 microg/kg), or cortisol (1-10 mg/kg) did not induce significant reinstatement of cocaine seeking. All of these treatments, however, resulted in a significant increase in salivary cortisol. In contrast, priming injections of cocaine (0.1-1.0 mg/kg) dose-dependently induced reinstatement of drug seeking, but did not increase salivary cortisol. The CRH-R1 antagonist CP-154,526 (10 mg/kg, IV) did not modulate cocaine priming-induced reinstatement of drug seeking, but attenuated CRH-induced increases in salivary cortisol. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that activation of the HPA axis is neither necessary nor sufficient for reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behavior in this non-human primate model of cocaine relapse.

Fenfluramine challenge, self-injurious behavior, and aggression in rhesus monkeys.

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) and aggression have been linked to reduced serotonergic (5-HT) functioning in both humans and nonhuman primates. The present study examined serum prolactin and cortisol responses to the 5-HT releasing agent D,L-fenfluramine (FEN) in 24 individually housed rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), 15 of which carried a veterinary record of self-wounding (SW). Subjects received two doses of FEN, 4 and 2 mg/kg, separated by an interval of at least 2 months. For control purposes, monkeys were given an intramuscular saline injection 1 week prior to each FEN challenge. The relationship between the hormonal responses to FEN, wounding history, the rates of self-directed biting and aggression were determined for each animal based on 100 five-minute observations conducted over a period of 12 months surrounding the challenge procedures. Prolactin and cortisol responses to FEN were unrelated either to wounding history or to rates of self-directed biting. However, there were significant inverse correlations between levels of aggression and the prolactin response to both doses of FEN. The present findings provide no evidence for reduced 5-HT system function in rhesus monkeys with SIB under the present challenge conditions. However, the results are consistent with a previously reported inverse relationship between serotonergic activity and aggression. Moreover, a dose-dependent response to FEN was observed only for prolactin, suggesting that this variable is more appropriate than cortisol as an endpoint for FEN challenge in monkeys.

Increases in quantitative D-dimer levels correlate with progressive disease better than circulating tumor cell counts in patients with refractory prostate cancer.

Changes in quantitative D-dimer levels, circulating tumor cell (CTC) counts, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were measured in 28 patients with refractory castration-resistant prostate cancer to assess their concordance during the course of therapy and their relationship with risk of progressive disease. A significant correlation was identified between changes in PSA and both CTC counts and D-dimer levels (r = 0.67 and 0.58, respectively; P < .001). In addition, there was a significant correlation between changes in CTC count and D-dimer level (r = 0.62; P < .001). A significantly stronger concordance between these biomarkers was noted for increasing values (sensitivity, 72%-77.8%) compared with decreasing values (specificity, 43.8%-71.4%). Notably, increases in PSA and D-dimer levels, not CTC counts, were associated with increased risks for progressive disease (P < .024). Increases in quantitative D-dimer levels correlate with progressive disease better than CTC counts in patients with refractory prostate cancer.

A rhesus monkey model of self-injury: effects of relocation stress on behavior and neuroendocrine function.

BACKGROUND: Self-injurious behavior (SIB), a disorder that afflicts many individuals within both clinical and nonclinical populations, has been linked to states of heightened stress and arousal. However, there are no published longitudinal data on the relationship between increases in stress and changes in the incidence of SIB. This study investigated the short- and long-term behavioral and neuroendocrine responses of SIB and control monkeys to the stress of relocation. METHODS: Twenty adult male rhesus macaques were exposed to the stress of relocation to a new housing arrangement in a newly constructed facility. Daytime behavior, sleep, and multiple measures of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis function were investigated before and after the move. RESULTS: Relocation induced a complex pattern of short- and long-term effects in the animals. The SIB animals showed a long-lasting increase in self-biting behavior, as well as evidence of sleep disturbance. Both groups exhibited elevated cortisol levels in saliva, serum, and hair, and also an unexpected delayed increase in circulating concentrations of corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that relocation is a significant stressor for rhesus macaques and that this stressor triggers an increase in self-biting behavior as well as sleep disturbance in monkeys previously identified as suffering from SIB. These findings suggest that life stresses may similarly exacerbate SIB in humans with this disorder. The HPA axis results underscore the potential role of CBG in regulating long-term neuroendocrine responses to major stressors.

Analysis of endogenous cortisol concentrations in the hair of rhesus macaques.

Short-term changes in activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system are routinely assessed by measuring glucocorticoid or metabolite concentrations in plasma, saliva, urine, or feces. However, there are no current methods for determining long-term (i.e., weeks or months) activity of this system. Herein, we describe the development and validation of a simple procedure for measuring cortisol concentrations in the hair of rhesus macaques. This procedure involves two brief isopropanol washes of the hair strands to remove surface contaminants, subsequent powdering of the washed and dried hair, a 24-h methanol extraction followed by evaporation of the solvent and reconstitution of the extract in assay buffer, and finally analysis of the extracted cortisol by a sensitive and specific enzyme immunoassay. Our results confirm the specificity of the procedure for cortisol, show that proximal and distal segments of hair do not differ in their cortisol concentration, and demonstrate that a significant and prolonged stressful experience produces a significant increase in hair cortisol. This new procedure should be valuable for assessing baseline HPA activity in nonhuman primates (and, with appropriate validation, in other species as well) over relatively long periods of time, and also for monitoring chronic stress that might be associated with various experimental manipulations.

Extinction deficits in male rhesus macaques with a history of self-injurious behavior.

Self-injurious behavior (SIB) occurs in both human and nonhuman primate populations. Despite the potential for harm, SIB may persist in part because of an inability to inhibit behavior that results in wounding. A lever-pressing task was used to test the prediction that monkeys with SIB would show greater persistence in lever-pressing on extinction trials than monkeys without the disorder. The subjects were 15 individually-housed adult male rhesus macaques, 10 of which (the SIB group) had a veterinary record of self-inflicted wounding. All of the monkeys were trained to lever-press for food rewards to a criterion of 400 total responses. The test procedures consisted of five daily 30-min sessions divided into six 5-min intervals. On day 1, the subjects received continuous reinforcement. On days 2-4, testing consisted of alternating reinforced/unreinforced 5-min intervals, beginning with reinforcement. Reinforced intervals were cued with a buzzer. On day 5, the subjects received no reinforcement. The number of lever-presses and behavioral responses were recorded during each session. Saliva samples were collected for cortisol measurement before and after test sessions on days 1, 2, and 5. As predicted, monkeys with SIB lever-pressed more than controls during extinction intervals on days 2-4. There was no difference on day 1 or day 5. The frequency of scratching, yawning, and abnormal behavior increased when reinforcement was intermittent (days 2-4) or absent (day 5). Cortisol levels were highest with continuous reinforcement (day 1), and may reflect differential levels of food intake rather than stress. The presence of extinction deficits suggests that SIB may persist in some monkeys because they lack the ability to regulate the intensity of their biting behavior.