MaRGA Meeting, 2004: Abstracts

9: Clinical / Husbandry / Management

Systemic AA Amyloidosis in the Common Marmoset

E. Ludlage¹, C.L. Murphy², S.M. Davern², A. Solomon², D.T. Weiss², D. Glenn-Smith³, S. Dworkin¹ and K.G. Mansfield¹

Affiliation: ¹New England National Primate Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Southborough, MA; ²University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine, Knoxville, TN; and ³University of California, Department of Anthropology, Davis, CA

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a small New World primate native to Brazil that has been used extensively in biomedical research. A retrospective analysis of archived hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained tissue sections and clinical records was conducted at the New England Primate Research Center (NEPRC) on 86 marmosets >1 year of age that were euthanized over the past decade due to morbidity and failure to thrive. Approximately 17% (15/86) were found to have amyloid deposits in one or more organs, including the liver, adrenal glands, kidneys, and intestine. This material was shown by amino acid sequence analysis to be composed of serum amyloid A (SAA)-related protein. This type of amyloidosis, designated AA or "secondary", typically is associated with an inflammatory process that induces elevated levels of the SAA amyloidogenic precursor molecule. Remarkably, there were no significant differences in SAA concentrations or other distinguishing features in animals with versus those without amyloid, thus suggesting the possible inheritable nature of the disorder. In this respect, the common marmoset provides a unique experimental model for study of the pathogenesis and treatment of AA and other forms of systemic amyloidosis.