Demonstration of alpha 1-antitrypsin by immunofluorescence on paraffin-embedded hepatic and pancreatic tissue

An immunohistochemical study of the distribution of lysozyme, lactoferrin, alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma

The immunohistochemical expression of lysozyme (Ly), lactoferrin (La), alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-AT), and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (alpha 1-Ach) was described, and their distributions were compared to each other in 28 cases of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the salivary glands. ACC materials were obtained from the parotid gland (7), the submandibular gland (4), the sublingual gland (8), and minor oral salivary glands (9). Histopathologically, ACC was classified into cribriform (14), tubular (3), and basaloid or solid patterns (11). Positive staining for Ly was found in 1 case of solid ACC in the sublingual gland; La was found in 4 cases (2 cribriform, 1 tubular, 1 basaloid) in the sublinguals (3) and parotid glands (1); alpha 1-AT was found in 6 cases and alpha 1-Ach in 17 cases. The immunohistochemical localization of Ly and La was usually confined to luminal tumor cells of tubulo-ductal structures, irrespective of the pathologic types. Positive staining for alpha 1-AT and alpha 1-Ach appeared in tumor cells of cribriform, tubular and solid ACC. Tumor cells with positive La staining coincided with a positive reaction to alpha 1-AT and alpha 1-Ach, and tumor cells with alpha 1-AT positive deposition were also positive for alpha 1-Ach. The contents of pseudocysts in the cribriform pattern showed a positive reaction to La, alpha 1-AT, and alpha 1-Ach. Of the 28 cases of ACC, positive expressions for Ly, La, alpha 1-AT and alpha 1-Ach were found with a high frequency of alpha 1-Ach staining (17 in 28 cases were positive). In sublingual ACC (8), 7 cases were positive for immunohistochemical reactions. Co-expression or simultaneous expression for Ly, La, alpha 1-AT, and alpha 1-Ach in ACC suggest that tumor cells are protected from proteolysis or degradation.

Immunohistochemical localization of lysozyme, lactoferrin, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, and alpha 1-antitrypsin in salivary gland of human fetuses

26 human fetuses were examined to elucidate the immunohistochemical distributions of lysozyme, lactoferrin, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, and alpha 1-antitrypsin in prenatal salivary glands. Development of fetal salivary glands was divided into 4 stages: The early developmental stage (EDS), the early intermediate developmental stage (EIDS), the late intermediate developmental stage (LIDS), and the late developmental stage (LDS) and were used to compare antigen localization during salivary gland development. Lysozyme (LY) staining was prominent in serous or demilune cells of the mucous acinar compartment. Lactoferrin (LF) was rarely seen in the fetal glands; only trace amounts were seen in serous cells, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (alpha 1-ACT) was diffusely positive particularly in glandular ducts, alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-AT) was also diffusely distributed in all salivary gland elements and was more abundant in ductal cells than acinar cells. During the EDS, immunohistochemical staining of LY, LF, alpha 1-ACT, and alpha 1-AT could be observed with glandular intensity increases corresponding to the advance of cytodifferentiation of granular epithelium occurring in the subsequent EIDS and LIDS. Staining intensities were continuous during the LDS even though the amount of those materials in the fetal salivary glands was not of the extent seen in the adult salivary gland. These results suggest that production of LY, LF, alpha 1-ACT, and alpha 1-AT was positive during prenatal development of human salivary glands. The present study discusses the protective roles and defense mechanisms of LY, LF, alpha 1-ACT, and alpha 1-AT in developing human salivary glands.

Granular cell tumors: evidence for heterogeneous tumor cell differentiation. An immunocytochemical study

Eighteen granular cell tumors from various sites were examined with antisera directed against protein S-100, neuron specific enolase (NSE), alpha-1-antichymotrypsin, and alpha-1-antitrypsin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), lysozyme, factor VIII-related antigen, myoglobin and vimentin, as well as with a monoclonal antibody (lu-5) directed against a panepithelial marker. The immunocytochemical reaction pattern of the tumors was heterogeneous. The brain and pituitary tumors and one thyroid tumor reacted for alpha-1-antichymotrypsin and alpha-1-antitrypsin, but not for S-100 protein and NSE. However, tumors from other sites showed immunoreactions for S-100 protein and NSE and some also for vimentin. Reactions for alpha-1-antichymotrypsin and alpha-1-antitrypsin were not observed. All other reactions were similarly negative. We conclude that the morphologically homogeneous group of granular cell tumors is biologically heterogeneous.

Analysis of pure pancreatic juice proteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis in cases of pancreatic cancer

To clarify the difference in the protein composition of pancreatic juice between patients with pancreatic cancer and normal controls, the proteins of pure pancreatic juice from three cases of cancer of the head of the pancreas and six apparently healthy adults were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (two-DE) followed by silver staining. Two minor proteins of Mr 59,000 and Mr 78,000 present in all the three patients were not detected in the six controls. We have identified the minor proteins with Mr 59,000 and Mr 78,000 as alpha 1-antitrypsin and transferrin, respectively, using Western blotting with anti-alpha 1-antitrypsin and anti-transferrin antibodies. In addition, serum albumin also identified by antibody binding was abundantly present in patients compared to controls. The increase in the amount of serum albumin in the patient was also confirmed by a quantitative analysis using SDS-PAGE and gel densitometry. The data indicate that not only serum albumin but also alpha 1-antitrypsin and transferrin are increased in the pancreatic juice of the patients with pancreatic cancer, as compared with apparently healthy adults. The data also suggests that the analysis of pancreatic juice proteins by two-DE with silver staining is useful for the diagnosis of pancreatic diseases.

Immunohistochemical localization of alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin in salivary pleomorphic adenomas

Immunohistochemical identification of alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-AT) and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (alpha 1-ACh) in pleomorphic adenomas of salivary glands is reported in order to compare their distribution profiles with those of lysozyme and lactoferrin, already described elsewhere. Normal salivary glands indicated positive alpha 1-AT staining in ductal segments and had no alpha 1-ACh in any glandular cell. Pleomorphic adenomas displayed moderate positivity to alpha 1-AT staining in duct-like, tubular and glandular epithelia which was particularly intense in luminal cells. The limited number of tumour cells which showed duct-like structures with a single cellular layer arrangement, displayed the highest staining to alpha 1-ACh. Strongly alpha 1-AT positive tumour cells located on the inner side of luminal cavities were also markedly positive to alpha 1-ACh. Spindle shaped tumour cells existed outside tubular and ductal structures and were negative to alpha 1-AT and alpha 1-ACh. Distribution of alpha 1-AT in salivary glands was similar to that of lysozyme as is usual in ductal segments or their transformed cells, and occurrence of alpha 1-ACh localization rather resembled that of lactoferrin, with occurrence in acinar compartments and changed epithelia within acini. The biological role of a specific immunohistochemical distribution of alpha 1-AT and alpha 1-ACh in pleomorphic adenomas may be associated with a self regulating mechanism which inhibits degradation by tissue proteinases.

Simultaneous alpha-1-antitrypsin accumulation in liver and pancreas

Inclusions positive for periodic acid-Schiff, resistant to diastase, and immunoreactive to alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) were found in hepatocytes and pancreatic islet cells of a patient with clinical and pathologic features of AAT deficiency. Alpha-1-antitrypsin was detected in all pancreatic islets, and AAT-positive cells were observed in the excretory pancreatic ducts. These findings suggest that the pancreas synthesizes AAT and possibly serves as a "storage" place in AAT deficiency. Intercalated cells in the excretory pancreatic ducts may be an additional source of AAT.

Alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor in pure human pancreatic juice

The presence of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha 1-PI) in pure human pancreatic juice was demonstrated. Its concentration was measured using the radial immunodiffusion technique and compared to transferrin and albumin concentrations. In normal pancreatic juice the mean alpha 1-PI level (expressed in percent of total protein) was 0.21 +/- 0.02, whereas the mean levels of the two other serum proteins were 0.14 +/- 0.01 for transferrin and 0.90 +/- 0.07 for albumin. These levels increased significantly in the juice of patients with chronic calcifying pancreatitis. The serum origin of alpha 1-PI present in pancreatic juice was demonstrated by the good correlation existing between alpha 1-PI and albumin as well as between transferrin and albumin. In addition, in each case the alpha 1-PI level was found to be higher in secretin-stimulated juice than in cholecystokinin-stimulated juice. A similar pattern was also found for albumin.

Macrophage origin of Reed-Sternberg cells: an immunohistochemical study

In an immunohistochemical study of 26 biopsies from 24 patients with Hodgkin's disease a granular staining pattern for alpha-1-antitrypsin (alpha(1)AT) and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin (alpha(1)ACT) was seen in Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells and mononuclear Hodgkin's (H) cells in over half the cases. The pattern of staining for these antiproteases seen in RS and H cells has previously only been observed in normal and malignant cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage within the lymphoreticular system. A faintly granular evenly distributed staining for IgG was found in viable RS and H cells. This staining was associated with a similar distribution of both light chains but not J chain, suggesting that the immunoglobulin had not been synthesised by these cells but had been taken up from the extracellular environment. It is suggested that this uptake is an active process occurring in viable RS and H cells, possibly via Fcgamma receptors and further supports an origin from cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. IgA, IgD, albumin, fibrinogen, C1q, C4 and C3 were present in some cells, IgM was more rarely found and lysozyme was absent. The fact that cells staining for these serum proteins generally showed signs of degeneration and that the extent of staining correlated with the molecular weight, but not serum concentration, of the protein suggests that they are passively acquired by dead or dying cells and thus represent a separate phenomenon from IgG uptake. The function of IgG uptake and accumulation by RS cells and the alpha(1)AT and alpha(1)ACT markers may prove of use in identifying the macrophage subtype from which these cells are derived.

Immunohistochemical demonstration of alpha-1-antitrypsin in liver tissue. A methodological investigation

The influence of the tissue preparation on the immunohistochemical demonstration of alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) in liver tissue was evaluated using autopsy and biopsy material with and without AAT globules. On comparing frozen sections of unfixed material with paraffin sections of formalin fixed material a slightly better preservation of the immunoreactivity of AAT was observed in frozen sections. On comparing different fixatives, fixation in 10% neutral buffered formalin. Lillie's AAF or 96% ethanol/1% acetic acid caused a clearly better preservation of demonstrable AAT than fixation in Clarke's or Bouin's fixatives. The fixation time had only minor influence when using fixation times within a week. Extremely long fixation for several months caused, however, a clear reduction in demonstrable AAT. Pretreatment with proteolytic enzymes of deparaffinized sections of formalin fixed tissue caused an increase in demonstrable AAT, especially in tissues fixed for extremely long periods of time. On comparing three different immunohistochemical techniques: indirect immunoperoxidase, peroxidase/anti-peroxidase (PAP), and indirect immunofluorescnece, no convicting difference in sensitivity was observed between the three techniques. It is concluded that for the immunohistochemical demonstration of AAT in liver tissue the employment of indirect immunoperoxidase staining on formalin fixed, paraffin embedded material is recommendable as it combines a sensitive staining technique with a satisfactory preservation of immunoreactivity and tissue morphology.