Glomerular Disease in Captive Galagos

Abstract

A captive colony of galagos that for several years lived under poor housing conditions and suffered a variety of chronic illnesses showed a high incidence of renal glomerular disease. Several patterns of glomerular disease were seen: four types of proliferative lesions included a mild stalk glomerulitis, more severe stalk-lobular proliferative glomerulonephritis, diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis, and diffuse proliferative and sclerotic glomerulonephritis; and a form of glomerular capillary basement membrane thickening. Glomerular localization of immunoglobulin and the third component of complement as well as some unusual ultrastructural observations in diffuse proliferative and sclerotic glomerulonephritis suggest an immunopathogenesis for this disease.