title: Chronic anemia and effects of iron supplementation in a research colony of adult Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).
abstract: A cohort of rhesus macaques used in neuroscience research was found at routine examinations to have chronic anemia (spun Hct less than 30%). Four anemic (Hct, 24.8% ± 3.4%) and 10 control (39.6% ± 2.9%) macaques were assessed to characterize the anemia and determine probable  cause(s); some animals in both groups had cephalic implants. Diagnostic tests included CBC, bone marrow evaluations, iron panels, and serum erythropoietin and hepcidin concentrations. Serum iron and ferritin were 15.8 ± 11.1 μg/dL and 103.8 ± 53.1 ng/mL, respectively, for  the anemic group compared with 109.8 ± 23.8 μL/dL and 88.5 ± 41.9 ng/mL, respectively, for the control group. Erythropoietin levels were 16.2 to over 100 mU/mL for the anemic macaques compared with 0 to 1.3 mU/mL for the control group. Hepcidin results were similar in both  groups. Because the findings of low iron, high erythropoietin, and normal hepcidin in the anemic macaques supported iron-deficiency anemia or anemia of chronic disease combined with iron-deficiency anemia, a regimen of 4 doses of iron dextran was provided. In treated macaques, Hct rose to  36.3% ± 6.8%, serum iron levels increased to 94.0 ± 41.9 μg/dL, and erythropoietin levels fell to 0.15 to 0.55 mU/mL. Maintenance of normal Hct was variable between macaques and reflected individual ongoing clinical events.
authors.affiliation: Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Turk
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simoni
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cacioppo
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Marini
authors.forename: Mary M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Patterson
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001772:Blood Cell Count / Q000662:veterinary; D001856:Bone Marrow Examination / Q000662:veterinary; D002908:Chronic Disease; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006397:Hematinics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006400:Hematocrit / Q000662:veterinary; D064451:Hepcidins; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D058085:Iron Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; D006397:Hematinics; D064451:Hepcidins; D058085:Iron Compounds; D004921:Erythropoietin; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron