Adenoviral pancreatitis in rhesus monkeys: current knowledge

Features and pathogenesis of adenoviral pancreatitis in rhesus monkeys were studied with an immunofluorescence staining procedure on tissues from two previously documented cases. Fluorescing adenovirus antigen in epithelial cells of the pancreatic ducts, duodenum, and jejunum suggests that under as yet undefined conditions, a primary adenovirus infection of the gastrointestinal tract ascends to the pancreatic parenchyma via pancreatic ducts. In a retrospective survey, over 3,000 microslides of pancreas taken at necropsy from several species of nonhuman primates (1,002 animals) were studied to determine the incidence of and species susceptibility to adenoviral pancreatitis. Other than the two documented cases from our files, we found comparable lesions in only one rhesus monkey. Adenoviral pancreatitis seems to be a distinct entity in rhesus monkeys, and it should be considered when pancreatitis is found in this species. Our findings also suggest a possible viral cause for some cases of pancreatitis in man.