Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Characterization of Metabolic Status in Nonhuman Primates with the Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test
Published on: November 13, 2016
Evaluation of a human immunometric assay for the determination of thyroid-stimulating hormone in nonhuman primates
S Lair1, G J Crawshaw, K G Mehren
1Toronto Zoo, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
Sera from nine species of clinically healthy nonhuman primates were assayed for T4 and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) using human immunoassays (a fluorescence polarization immunoassay for T4, a microparticle enzyme immunoassay for TSH). The T4 levels ranged from 20 to 132 nmol/L (x +/- SD = 62.8 +/- 24.7 nmol/L). Levels of TSH were detected only in western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and Sumatran orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus abelii) (range, 0.4-10.8 mIU/L; detectable limit = 0.01 mIU/L). The results suggest that the antibodies used in the commercial TSH immunoassay assessed in this study cross-react with gorilla and orang-utan TSH but not with TSH of primates of the genera Macaca, Papio, Erythrocebus, Ateles, Leontopithecus, and Lemur.
Sera from nine species of clinically healthy nonhuman primates were assayed for T4 and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) using human immunoassays (a fluorescence polarization immunoassay for T4, a microparticle enzyme immunoassay for TSH). The T4 levels ranged from 20 to 132 nmol/L (x +/- SD = 62.8 +/- 24.7 nmol/L). Levels of TSH were detected only in western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and Sumatran orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus abelii) (range, 0.4-10.8 mIU/L; detectable limit = 0.01 mIU/L). The results suggest that the antibodies used in the commercial TSH immunoassay assessed in this study cross-react with gorilla and orang-utan TSH but not with TSH of primates of the genera Macaca, Papio, Erythrocebus, Ateles, Leontopithecus, and Lemur.

