Systemic amyloid A amyloidosis in a captive Cape hyrax (Procavia capensis).
Aya Terao, Susumu Iwaide, Natsumi Kobayashi, Tomoaki Murakami, Yoshiyuki Itoh, Masakazu Nakada, Tomoyuki Shibahara
Abstract
Open AccessAmyloidosis is a disease caused by amyloid deposition and has been reported in various animal species; however, reports on Afrotherian species, including Cape hyraxes, are extremely limited. In this report, we describe the case of a 4-year-old captive Cape hyrax affected by amyloidosis. Histological examination revealed amyloid deposits in the liver, spleen, kidneys, and heart, which stained orange-red with Congo red and exhibited typical birefringence under polarized light. Mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis and immunohistochemistry identified serum amyloid A in the amyloid deposits. Based on these findings, the case was diagnosed as amyloid A amyloidosis. This is a first case of amyloid A amyloidosis in Cape hyrax and, to our knowledge, the first documented case in any Afrotherian species.