Spontaneous pathology of the baboon endocrine system.
BACKGROUND
Study of endocrine pathology in animal models is critical to understanding endocrine pathology in humans.


METHODS
We evaluated 434 endocrine-related diagnoses from 4619 baboon necropsies, established the incidence of spontaneous endocrine pathology, and analyzed the clinical and biochemical data associated with the individual cases.


RESULTS
The most common diagnoses in descending order, were pancreatic islet cell amyloidosis (n = 259), ovarian cysts (n = 50), pituitary adenoma (n = 37), pancreatic islet cell adenoma (n = 20), granulosa cell tumor (n = 15), thyroid adenoma (n = 11), adrenal hyperplasia (n = 10), thyroid carcinoma (n = 8), and pheochromocytoma (n = 6). The incidence of pancreatic islet cell amyloidosis progressively increased with age. Pheochromocytomas were associated with renal and heart failure. The incidence of pancreatic islet cell amyloidosis and adrenal pathology was similar to humans; the incidence of pituitary adenoma and thyroid pathology was lower than in humans.


CONCLUSIONS
Endocrine disease in baboons is common and shares clinical and biochemical characteristics with endocrine disease in humans.
Diabetes Division, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA.
R
R
Guardado-Mendoza
E J
EJ
Dick
L M
LM
Jimenez-Ceja
A
A
Davalli
A O
AO
Chavez
F
F
Folli
G B
GB
Hubbard
D000818:Animals; D015897:Comorbidity; D004700:Endocrine System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010215:Papio