Skip to main content
Log in

The worldwide need for amyloid diagnosis in animals

  • Review
  • Published:
Journal of Biosciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Deposition of amyloid in tissues and organs leads to amyloidosis, impacting the function of vital organs and often resulting in mortality. About 42 proteins in humans and 10 in animals are known to form amyloid deposits. Amyloid research in humans has gained considerable pace in recent years but not in the case of animals. Being an essential part of the ecosystem, animals contribute significantly to the world economy. Many retrospective studies have shown amyloidosis as a possible cause of animal death. Underdiagnosis of amyloidosis in animals may also increase the chance of zoonotic transmission. Hence, assessment of the prevalence of amyloidosis necessitates significant attention. An early diagnosis will improve the overall prognosis and decrease in the fatality of animals. This article strives to bring this issue to the attention of scientists, veterinarians, and primary caretakers of animals. This will help in the diagnosis and treatment of amyloidosis in animals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aguilar-Calvo P, García C, Espinosa JC, et al. 2015 Prion and prion-like diseases in animals. Virus Res. 207 82–93

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson K, Garner M and Stedman N 2016 Retrospective evaluation of histopathologic findings in captive gazelle species. J. Zoo Wildlife Med. 47 113–119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Babelhadj B, Di Bari MA, Pirisinu L, et al. 2018 Prion disease in dromedary camels, Algeria. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 24 1029

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Barasona JA, Acevedo P, Diez-Delgado I, et al. 2016 Tuberculosis-associated death among adult wild boars, Spain, 2009–2014. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 22 2178

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Benestad SL and Telling GC 2018 Chronic wasting disease: an evolving prion disease of cervids; in Handbook of clinical neurology (Elsevier) pp 135–151

  • Benson MD, Buxbaum JN, Eisenberg DS, et al. 2020 Amyloid nomenclature 2020: update and recommendations by the International Society of Amyloidosis (ISA) nomenclature committee. Amyloid 27 217–222

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blunden A and Smith K 1992 Generalised amyloidosis and acute liver haemorrhage in four cats. J. Small Anim. Pract. 33 566–570

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borràs D, Ferrer I and Pumarola M 1999 Age-related changes in the brain of the dog. Vet. Pathol. 36 202–211

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burns RE, Gaffney PM, Nilsson K, et al. 2017 Systemic amyloidosis in an African tiger snake (Telescopus semiannulatus). J. Comp. Pathol. 157 136–140

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Buxbaum JN, Dispenzieri A, Eisenberg DS, et al. 2022 Amyloid nomenclature 2022: update, novel proteins, and recommendations by the International Society of Amyloidosis (ISA) Nomenclature Committee. Amyloid 29 213–219

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ceribasi A, Eroksuz Y, Ceribasi S, et al. 2009 Generalized AA amyloidosis and fibrino-hemorrhagic pancreatitis in a Gazelle subgutturosa: a case report. Vet. Med. 54 340–349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chambers JK, Kanda T, Shirai A, et al. 2010 Senile systemic amyloidosis in an aged savannah monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops) with tenosynovial degeneration. J. Vet. Med. Sci. 72 657–659

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chiti F and Dobson CM 2006 Protein misfolding, functional amyloid, and human disease. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 75 333–366

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clark L and Seawright A 1969 Generalised amyloidosis in seven cats. Pathol. Vet. 6 117–134

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cowan DF 1968 Avian amyloidosis: I. General incidence in zoo birds. Pathol. Vet. 5 51–58

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DiBartola S, Tarr M, Parker A, et al. 1989 Clinicopathologic findings in dogs with renal amyloidosis: 59 cases (1976–1986). J. Am. Vet. Med. Associ. 195 358–364

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dobson CM 2017 The amyloid phenomenon and its links with human disease. Cold Spring Harbor Persp. Biol. 9 a023648

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eanes E and Glenner G 1968 X-ray diffraction studies on amyloid filaments. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 16 673–677

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Elitok O, Elitok B and Unver O 2008 Renal amyloidosis in cattle with inflammatory diseases. J. Vet. Internal Med. 22 450–455

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Erik G 2004 Protein folding pathology in domestic animals. J. Zhejiang Uni. Sci. A 5 1226–1238

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Force AT 2015 Critical role of animal science research in food security and sustainability (National Academies Press: Washington, DC)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gliatto J and Alroy J 1995 Cutaneous amyloidosis in a horse with lymphoma. Vet. Record 137 68–69

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Greunz EM, Lemberger K, Catinaud J, et al. 2020 Amyloidosis in caracals (Caracal caracal). J. Zoo Wildlife Med. 51 202–209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hampel MR, Kinne J, Wernery U, et al. 2009 Increasing fatal AA amyloidosis in hunting falcons and how to identify the risk: a report from the United Arab Emirates. Amyloid 16 122–132

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hayden D, Johnson K, Wolf CB, et al. 1988 AA amyloid-associated gastroenteropathy in a horse. J. Comp. Pathol. 98 195–204

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hellman U, Wernstedt C, Westermark P, et al. 1990 Amino acid sequence from degu islet amyloid-derived insulin shows unique sequence characteristics. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 169 571–577

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Herrero M, Thornton PK, Gerber P, et al. 2009 Livestock, livelihoods and the environment: understanding the trade-offs. Curr. Opin. Environ. Sustain. 1 111–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herrero M, Havlík P, Valin H, et al. 2013 Biomass use, production, feed efficiencies, and greenhouse gas emissions from global livestock systems. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 110 20888–20893

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Higuchi K, Yonezu T, Tsunasawa S, et al. 1986 The single proline-glutamine substitution at position 5 enhances the potency of amyloid fibril formation of murine apo A-II. FEBS Lett. 207 23–27

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hoenig M, Hall G, Ferguson D, et al. 2000 A feline model of experimentally induced islet amyloidosis. Am. J. Pathol. 157 2143–2150

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Houston F and Andréoletti O 2019 Animal prion diseases: the risks to human health. Brain Pathol. 29 248–262

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Howard Jr CF 1978 Insular amyloidosis and diabetes mellitus in Macaca nigra. Diabetes 27 357–364

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hubbard GB, Lee DR, Steele KE, et al. 2001 Spontaneous amyloidosis in twelve chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes. J. Med. Primatol. 30 260–267

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ibrahim RB, Liu Y-T, Yeh S-Y, et al. 2019 Contributions of animal models to the mechanisms and therapies of transthyretin amyloidosis. Front. Physiol. 10 338

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Imran M and Mahmood S 2011 An overview of animal prion diseases. Virol. J. 8 493

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ironside JW, Ritchie DL and Head MW 2018 Prion diseases. Handbook Clin. Neurol. 145 393–403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeffrey M and Gonzalez L 2007 Classical sheep transmissible spongiform encephalopathies: pathogenesis, pathological phenotypes and clinical disease. Neuropathol. Appl. Neurobiol. 33 373–394

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jin L-W, Claborn KA, Kurimoto M, et al. 2003 Imaging linear birefringence and dichroism in cerebral amyloid pathologies. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100 15294–15298

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson K, Sletten K, Hayden D, et al. 1992 Pulmonary vascular amyloidosis in aged dogs. A new form of spontaneously occurring amyloidosis derived from apolipoprotein AI. Am. J. Pathol. 141 1013

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kadota A, Iwaide S, Miyazaki S, et al. 2020 Pathology and proteomics-based diagnosis of localized light-chain amyloidosis in dogs and cats. Vet. Pathol. 57 658–665

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kim D, Taylor H, Eades S, et al. 2005 Systemic AL amyloidosis associated with multiple myeloma in a horse. Vet. Pathol. 42 81–84

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Klein A, Radespiel U, Felmy F, et al. 2022 AA-amyloidosis in captive northern tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri). Vet. Pathol. 59 340–347

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Landman WJM 1999 Amyloid arthropathy in chickens. Vet. Q. 21 78–82

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Landman W and Gruys E 1998 Amyloid arthropathy in an Indian peafowl. Vet. Record 142 90–91

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Laurence H, Kumar S, Owston MA, et al. 2017 Natural mortality and cause of death analysis of the captive chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes): A 35-year review. J. Med. Primatol. 46 106–115

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Linke R, Hol P and Geisel O 1986 Immunohistochemical identification of generalized AA-amyloidosis in a mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella). Vet. Pathol. 23 63–67

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marsh RF and Hadlow W 1992 Transmissible mink encephalopathy. Rev. Sci. Tech. 11 539–550

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ménsua C, Carrasco L, Bautista M, et al. 2003 Pathology of AA amyloidosis in domestic sheep and goats. Vet. Pathol. 40 71–80

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Murakami T, Ishiguro N and Higuchi K 2014 Transmission of systemic AA amyloidosis in animals. Vet. Pathol. 51 363–371

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura S, Okabayashi S, Ageyama N, et al. 2008 Transthyretin amyloidosis and two other aging-related amyloidoses in an aged vervet monkey. Vet. Pathol. 45 67–72

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nakagun S, Watanabe K, Tajima Y, et al. 2020 Systemic amyloid A amyloidosis in Stejneger’s beaked whales (Mesoplodon stejnegeri). Vet. Pathol. 57 437–444

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson PT, Greenberg SG and Saper CB 1994 Neurofibrillary tangles in the cerebral cortex of sheep. Neurosci. Lett. 170 187–190

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nemeth N, Gonzalez-Astudillo V, Oesterle P, et al. 2016 A 5-year retrospective review of avian diseases diagnosed at the Department of Pathology, University of Georgia. J. Comp. Pathol. 155 105–120

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Niewold TA, Murphy CL, Hulskamp-Koch CA, et al. 1999 Casein related amyloid, characterization of a new and unique amyloid protein isolated from bovine corpora amylacea. Amyloid 6 244–249

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien T, Wagner J, Litwak K, et al. 1996 Islet amyloid and islet amyloid polypeptide in cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis): an animal model of human non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Vet. Pathol. 33 479–485

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Orge L, Lima C, Machado C, et al. 2021 Neuropathology of animal prion diseases. Biomolecules 11 466

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Papendick R, Munson L, O’Brien T, et al. 1997 Systemic AA amyloidosis in captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus). Vet. Pathol. 34 549–556

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Penticoff HB, Hipkiss HK, Hetak AA, et al. 2021 Survey of amyloidosis cases among different free-living wild and zoo animals. Amyloid 28 145–152

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Platz S, Breuer W, Geisel O, et al. 1997 Identification of λ light chain amyloid in eight canine and two feline extramedullary plasmacytomas. J. Comp. Pathol. 116 45–54

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prusiner SB 1998 Prions. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95 13363–13383

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rao NS, Pradeep M, Hamza P, et al. 2020 Histological grading of hepatic amyloidosis in ducks. Indian J. Vet. Pathol. 44 101–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reid SJ, Mckean NE, Henty K, et al. 2017 Alzheimer’s disease markers in the aged sheep (Ovis aries). Neurobiol. Aging 58 112–119

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rideout B, Montali RJ, Wallace R, et al. 1989 Renal medullary amyloidosis in Dorcas gazelles. Vet. Pathol. 26 129–135

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rising A, Gherardi P, Chen G, et al. 2021 AA amyloid in human food chain is a possible biohazard. Sci. Rep. 11 21069

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rusbridge C, Salguero FJ, David MA, et al. 2018 An aged canid with behavioral deficits exhibits blood and cerebrospinal fluid amyloid beta oligomers. Front. Aging Neurosci. 10 7

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ryder S, Wells G, Bradshaw J, et al. 2001 Inconsistent detection of PrP in extraneural tissues of cats with feline spongiform encephalopathy. Vet. Record 148 437–441

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schulze C, Brügmann M, Böer M, et al. 1998 Generalized AA-amyloidosis in Siberian tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) with predominant renal medullary amyloid deposition. Vet. Pathol. 35 70–74

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schulze C, Kämmerling J and Linke R 1990 Spontaneous islet amyloid polypeptide amyloidosis (AIAPP) in two Prevost's squirrels (Callosciurus prevostii Desmarest, 1822). Diabetes 39 634–638

    Google Scholar 

  • Segalés J, Vicente J, Luján L, et al. 2005 Systemic AA-amyloidosis in a European wild boar (Sus scrofa) suffering from generalized tuberculosis. J. Vet. Med. Ser. A 52 135–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seifi H, Karimi K and Movasseghi A 1997 Renal amyloidosis in cattle: a case report in Iran. J. Vet. Med. Ser. B 44 631–633

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Selvaraj I, Arun AS, Dahe N, et al. 2015 Amyloid hepatopathy in a Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus). Int. J. Appl. Res. 1 672–675

    Google Scholar 

  • Sigurdson CJ and Miller MW 2003 Other animal prion diseases. Br. Med. Bull. 66 199–212

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sipe JD, Benson MD, Buxbaum JN, et al. 2012 Amyloid fibril protein nomenclature: 2012 recommendations from the Nomenclature Committee of the International Society of Amyloidosis. Amyloid 19 167–170

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Solomon A, Richey T, Murphy CL, et al. 2007 Amyloidogenic potential of foie gras. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104 10998–11001

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Spear G, Caple M and Sutherland L 1984 The pancreas in the degu. Exp. Mol. Pathol. 40 295–310

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Szczepankiewicz B, Bąchor R, Pasławski R, et al. 2019 Evaluation of tryptic podocin peptide in urine sediment using LC-MS-MRM method as a potential biomarker of glomerular injury in dogs with clinical signs of renal and cardiac disorders. Molecules 24 3088

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Terio K, O’Brien T, Lamberski N, et al. 2008 Amyloidosis in black-footed cats (Felis nigripes). Vet. Pathol. 45 393–400

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thakur AK, Ghosh S and Gahane AY 2019 Amyloidosis: a strong need for clinical diagnosis in India. Amyloid 26 175–176

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ueda M, Ageyama N, Nakamura S, et al. 2012 Aged vervet monkeys developing transthyretin amyloidosis with the human disease-causing Ile122 allele: a valid pathological model of the human disease. Lab. Invest. 92 474–484

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wechalekar AD, Gillmore JD and Hawkins PN 2016 Systemic amyloidosis. Lancet 387 2641–2654

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wells G, Scott A, Johnson C, et al. 1987 A novel progressive spongiform encephalopathy in cattle. Vet. Record 121 419–420

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Westermark GT, Fändrich M and Westermark P 2015 AA amyloidosis: pathogenesis and targeted therapy. Annu. Rev. Pathol. 10 321–344

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Westermark GT and Westermark P 2009 Serum amyloid A and protein AA: molecular mechanisms of a transmissible amyloidosis. FEBS Lett. 583 2685–2690

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Woldemeskel M 2012 A concise review of amyloidosis in animals. Vet. Med. Int. 2012 427296

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Yang J-H 1990 Animal models for amyloidosis. Clin. Dermatol. 8 102–107

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yano B, Johnson K and Hayden D 1981 Feline insular amyloid: histochemical distinction from secondary systemic amyloid. Vet. Pathol. 18 181–187

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang B, Une Y, Fu X, et al. 2008 Fecal transmission of AA amyloidosis in the cheetah contributes to high incidence of disease. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 105 7263–7268

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ashwani Kumar Thakur.

Additional information

Corresponding editor: Renee M. Borges

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Garg, A., Thakur, A.K. The worldwide need for amyloid diagnosis in animals. J Biosci 48, 46 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-023-00372-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12038-023-00372-0

Keywords

Navigation