Hepatic hemosiderosis is a commonly recognized finding in marmosets as well as other new world monkeys kept in zoologic, breeding and research colonies. Based on the absence of associated liver pathology or elevation in serum liver enzymes in affected animals, the condition has been considered to be of no clinical or pathologic significance. A high incidence of hepatic and systemic hemosiderosis was verified in a retrospective study of marmosets from NIH's colony, who were submitted for routine necropsy to the Pathology unit, LSS, SSB, VRP, NCRR (project # Z01-RR-10438-01 VR). These animals had been used in behavior research and had died or were euthanized due to spontaneous disease or trauma. There was no history of experimental diet or drug administration in these animals. At death, many of the adults were severely wasted due to undetermined causes. In human hereditary hemochromatosis, the most common inherited disease in Caucasians of northern European descent, iron overload causes debility and organ failure, and untreated, can result in premature death. This study was undertaken to determine if hepatic hemosiderosis in marmosets is caused by excess dietary iron, if it results in debility, if it can be prevented by restricting dietary iron, and if it may be a useful model of human iron overload diseases.
