Erosive arthritis and spondyloarthropathy in old world primates

Abstract

Presence of spine and sacroiliac involvement and the nature and distribution of the erosive lesions allow definitive diagnosis of spondyloarthropathy. Thus, spondyloarthropathy was identified in Theropithecus, Papio, Cercopithecus, Macaca, Colobus, Presbytis, and Hylobates. Only monarticular erosive disease was present in prosimians, precluding a diagnosis of spondyloarthropathy for that group. The distribution of erosive disease and axial joint involvement in 1,349 non-prosimian Old World primates is quite characteristic of that noted in human psoriatic arthritis. While Reiter's syndrome must also be considered, the histologic appearance of skin lesions in Macaca is characteristic of psoriasis. Evidence of spondyloarthropathy abounds in the literature of primate skeletal disease. Environmentally based contagions may be important in the pathophysiology of spondyloarthropathy. The wide geographic distribution of the phenomena in monkeys suggests a "panendemic," with limited individual susceptibility (compared to that noted in gorillas and chimpanzees). Identical occurrence of erosive arthritis/spondyloarthropathy in free-ranging and artificially restrained animals suggests that spondyloarthropathy can validly be studied in artificially restrained populations. This perspective should allow application of human therapeutic approaches to and perhaps improve the quality of life for artificially restrained, afflicted individuals.

Arthritis through Geologic Time and its Environmental Implications

“…That contrasts with osteoarthritis in mammals, where the effect of artificial environments is clearly documented [31,32]. As the prevalence of spondyloarthropathy was equal in lowland and mountain gorillas [12], general environmental contamination (with adjuvant-active microorganisms) is suggested, although not necessarily the same organism at the various locales.…”

Recognition and Breed Specificity of Canine Spondyloarthropathy

“…Adult animals have been the subject of this study because spondyloarthropathy appears to be acquired during early adulthood, at least in canids, felids and primates [11,19,[22][23][24]27,29,31]. The anatomical alterations found in this study are indistinguishable from those seen in humans [1].…”

“…The fifth variety is one that includes individuals that do not fit into any of the above spondyloarthropathy categories. It is referred to as undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy and appears to represent the preponderance of what has been observed in humans, dogs, and for that matter, in non-domesticated mammals [11,[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]70]. The clinical overlap between reactive arthritis and undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy precludes clear separation of those disorders.…”

“…Prevalence of this disease has been independent of captive or free ranging lifestyle in non-domestic animals [11,[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]30,96,97], with one exception. Harris [96,97] observed that 34.5% of a special collection of red fox Vulpes vulpes skeletons had what he termed spondylosis deformans.…”

“…Spondyloarthropathy has been recognized in most mammalian families [11,[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]. It is clearly documented in non-domestic canids [31] and felids [31] and present in their domestic relations [personal observation].…”