title: Age-related accumulation of congophilic fibrillar inclusions in endocrine cells.
abstract: Intracellular fibrillar congophilic inclusions are well known as neurofibrillary tangles in neurons and as Biondi bodies in choroid plexus epithelial cells. Recently similar amyloid-like inclusions in adrenal cortical cells were described (Eriksson and Westermark 1990). This study on 150 adrenal glands confirms these observations. In our material the age-related accumulation of congophilic inclusions starts earlier (in the sixth decade) and reaches a higher incidence (42.7%). We found similar intracellular inclusions in other endocrine organs, for example in the anterior lobe of the pituitary, in the cells of parathyroid glands and in Sertoli cells. The age-related incidence of these fibrillar inclusions in the pituitary was 68%: the co-incidence with interstitial amyloid deposits was 49.5%. Thus the intracellular accumulation of congophilic fibrils in old age is a wide-spread phenomenon and occurs not only in neurons but also in endocrine cells (adrenal, pituitary and parathyroid glands) and in active secretory cells (choroid plexus and Sertoli cells).
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bohl
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Steinmetz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Störkel
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D000375:Aging; D000682:Amyloid / Q000032:analysis; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002831:Choroid Plexus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D003224:Congo Red; D004702:Endocrine Glands / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D005110:Extracellular Space; D006801:Humans; D009454:Neurofibrils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D000682:Amyloid; D003224:Congo Red