Evaluation of usefulness of blood zinc concentration as a biomarker of health in common marmosets

Abstract

Blood zinc concentrations of 108 healthy common marmosets kept in the Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, were measured to investigate 1) the reference value of blood zinc concentration and 2) the usefulness of blood zinc concentration as a biomarker of health status. The blood zinc concentration was 52.9±14.3 μg/dl (all individuals, male and female, regardless of age). The blood zinc value of an individual diagnosed with Wasting Marmoset Syndrome (WMS) (#Cj568), 19.2 μg/dl, was significantly lower than the reference value of healthy individuals. The blood zinc concentration was also positively correlated with the blood albumin level. These results suggest the effectiveness of blood zinc concentration as a biomarker of health status.