Amyloidosis is a
heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by extracellular deposition of
abnormal protein fibrils, which are derived from different proteins. Almost all
patients with amyloidosis have some level of renal disorders. Amyloid P
Component reacts with amyloid deposits in all tissues including kidney, rectum
and brain. The application of Congo Red, Amyloid P and Amyloid A in tissues with
amyloid deposits has been shown to be superior to Congo Red and other
histochemical stains. The immunoperoxidase technique has the advantage of being
able to detect amyloid in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissues and is a very
specific method for identifying amyloid fibril proteins. Small and minute
amounts of amyloid can be detected with both Amyloid P and Amyloid A antibodies,
and thus could allow earlier treatment before organ damage has
occurred.
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