Histopathologic changes in macaques with an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

The authors recently described the clinical course of an Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in a colony of macaque monkeys. In the present study, they have reviewed the histopathology of tissues obtained from a cohort of 16 animals with this clinical syndrome at necropsy. They found evidence in these animals of several opportunistic infections, including cytomegalovirus (CMV), simian virus 40 (SV-40), and noma. Furthermore, a number of other unusual pathologic processes were noted. In 4 animals an array of lymphoproliferative disorders was observed, ranging from multiple nodules of lymphocytes in the kidney, liver, and bone marrow, to frank lymphoma. Evidence of retroperitoneal fibrosis was found in 3 of the animals. Finally, amyloidosis was observed in several animals; in two instances it was present only in the mucosa of the small intestine.