This Article Order Full text via Infotrieve Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Montali, R. J. Articles by Holmes, K. V. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Montali, R. J. Articles by Holmes, K. V.

American Journal of Pathology, Vol 147, 1441-1449, Copyright © 1995 by American Society for Investigative Pathology

REGULAR ARTICLES

Pathology and immunohistochemistry of callitrichid hepatitis, an emerging disease of captive New World primates caused by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus

RJ Montali, BM Connolly, DL Armstrong, CA Scanga and KV Holmes
Department of Pathology, National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA.

Callitrichid hepatitis is an arenavirus infection that recently emerged as a highly fatal disease of New World primates in the Callitrichidae family. As we previously reported, these primates develop hepatitis after contact with mice that are infected with variants of LCMV (LVMCCH), recently determined to have 86% identity with GC-P gene of the Armstrong and Western strains of LCMV. Here, we describe the histopathological lesions and tissue localization of viral antigens in confirmed cases of callitrichid hepatitis from recent outbreaks in two U.S. zoos. The liver in marmosets and tamarins with fatal infections consistently showed degeneration, necrosis, and inflammation, with variable involvement of the spleen, lymph nodes, adrenal glands, intestine, pancreas, and central nervous system. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus antigens were identified immunohistochemically in necrotic foci in these organs as well as in nondegenerating areas in lungs, kidney, urinary bladder, brain, and testes. The multi-organ tropism and histological pattern of LCMV infection in marmosets and tamarins are similar to those reported for the highly virulent arenavirus that causes Lassa fever in humans. Comparative studies of callitrichid hepatitis and Lassa fever would therefore be mutually beneficial for human and nonhuman primate medicine.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. Carrion Jr., K. Brasky, K. Mansfield, C. Johnson, M. Gonzales, A. Ticer, I. Lukashevich, S. Tardif, and J. Patterson Lassa Virus Infection in Experimentally Infected Marmosets: Liver Pathology and Immunophenotypic Alterations in Target Tissues J. Virol., June 15, 2007; 81(12): 6482 - 6490. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Bergthaler, D. Merkler, E. Horvath, L. Bestmann, and D. D. Pinschewer Contributions of the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus glycoprotein and polymerase to strain-specific differences in murine liver pathogenicity J. Gen. Virol., February 1, 2007; 88(2): 592 - 603. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. J. Lowenstine and R. J. Montali Historical Perspective and Future Directions in Training of Veterinary Pathologists with an Emphasis on Zoo and Wildlife Species J Vet Med Educ, January 1, 2006; 33(3): 338 - 345. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. S. Lukashevich, I. Tikhonov, J. D. Rodas, J. C. Zapata, Y. Yang, M. Djavani, and M. S. Salvato Arenavirus-Mediated Liver Pathology: Acute Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Infection of Rhesus Macaques Is Characterized by High-Level Interleukin-6 Expression and Hepatocyte Proliferation J. Virol., February 1, 2003; 77(3): 1727 - 1737. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]