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Case Reports
. 2024 Mar 10;14(6):852.
doi: 10.3390/ani14060852.

Histiocytic Sarcoma in a Captive Hybrid Orangutan (Pongo sp.): Morphological and Immunohistochemical Features

Valentina Galietta  1 , Niccolò Fonti  2 , Cristiano Cocumelli  1 , Caterina Raso  1 , Pilar Di Cerbo  3 , Francesca Parisi  2 , Emanuela Bovi  1 , Raffaella Parmigiani  1 , Gabriele Pietrella  1 , Antonella Cersini  1 , Klaus G Friedrich  3 , Claudia Eleni  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Histiocytic Sarcoma in a Captive Hybrid Orangutan (Pongo sp.): Morphological and Immunohistochemical Features

Valentina Galietta et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

Histiocytic sarcoma (HS), an infrequent highly aggressive hematopoietic tumor, has been observed in diverse animal species, with isolated occurrences in non-human primates. This study describes the first case of disseminated HS in a 45-year-old female hybrid captive orangutan. The clinical profile mirrored symptoms seen in human HS cases, encompassing anorexia and ascites. Detailed histopathological examination demonstrated characteristic features of this tumor and immunohistochemistry, using markers such as Iba-1 and HLA-DR, confirmed the diagnosis. Significantly, the absence of CD163 and CD204 expression challenges their diagnostic utility in non-human primates. This investigation enhances our understanding of HS diagnosis in non-human primates, underscoring the necessity for standardized markers and diagnostic protocols.

Keywords: histiocytic sarcoma (HS); immunohistochemistry; neoplasia; non-human primates (NHPs); orangutan.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Histiocytic sarcoma, liver, orangutan. Multifocal well-circumscribed nodular masses deform liver.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Histiocytic sarcoma, liver, orangutan. (a) The liver architecture (asterisks) appeared markedly altered by the proliferation of round cells organized in sheets (red arrows). Hematoxylin and eosin (HE), 5× objective. (b) Neoplastic cells, infiltrating hepatic parenchyma (asterisks) are round to polygonal with abundant foamy to vacuolated cytoplasm and eccentric hyperchromatic round-to-kidney-shaped nuclei. Multinucleated giant cells are also seen (black arrows). Hematoxylin and eosin (HE), 20× objective. Inset: detail of scattered multinucleated giant cells.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Histiocytic sarcoma, liver, orangutan. Immunohistochemistry for vimentin (a), HLA-DR (b), Iba-1 (c), CD3 (d), CD204 (e), and Ki67 (f). (a) Intense cytoplasmatic expression of neoplastic cells for vimentin; 20× objective (scale bar 50 μm). (b) Intense membranous and cytoplasmatic expression for HLA-DR; 20× objective (scale bar 50 μm). (c) Moderate membranous and cytoplasmatic expression of neoplastic cells, Kupffer cells, and TAMs for Iba1; 20× objective (scale bar 50 μm). (d) Intense CD3 cytoplasmatic expression in almost all the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, while the neoplastic cells show no immunoreactivity; 20× objective (scale bar 50 μm). (e) Lack of CD204 expression in neoplastic cells and strong membranous staining in TAMs and Kupffer cells; 20× objective (scale bar 50 μm). (f) Nuclear Ki67 expression with 31% Ki67 PI; 20× objective (scale bar 50 μm). In all images, inset shows neoplastic cells at higher magnification.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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