Clinical Chemistry and Hematology Values in a Caribbean Population of African Green Monkeys

BackgroundHematology and clinical chemistry (HCC) reference values are critical in veterinary practice and in vivo pre-clinical research, enabling detection of health abnormalities, response to therapeutic intervention or adverse toxicological effects, as well as monitoring of clinical management.MethodsIn this report, reference ranges for 46 HCC parameters were characterized in 331 wild-caught and colony-bred African green monkeys. Effects of sex, weight and duration of captivity were determined by one-way analysis of variance.ResultsSignificant sex differences were observed for several HCC parameters. Significant differences were also observed for select HCC variables between newly caught animals and those held in captivity for 1-12 months or longer.ConclusionsComparison of this data with other non-human primate species and humans highlights similarities and disparities between species. Potential causes of interpopulation variability and relevance to the use of the African green monkey as a non-human primate model are discussed.