Eosinophilic, electron-dense bodies in the tongue of Cercopithecus pygerythrus

Dorsal glossal mucosa from healthy southern African vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus pygerythrus) invariably contained intra-cytoplasmic eosinophilic bodies in the prickle cells between and beneath the filiform papillae. Ultrastructurally, the bodies were relatively homogeneous, electron-dense structures of varying size and resembled structures previously described as keratohyaline in the hamster and the dog. No similar bodies were found in tongues from humans and Cape chacma baboons.