title: An immunohistochemical and morphological study of amyloidosis complicating leprosy in Malaysian patients.
abstract: Congo red screening of tissue blocks from 37 consecutive autopsies on leprosy patients revealed 7 cases of systemic amyloidosis, indicating a prevalence rate of 19%. 5 were males and 2 females. All were ethnic Chinese. Their ages ranged from 52 to 85 years with a mean of 69 years. Six had lepromatous leprosy while the remaining 1 had tuberculoid leprosy. In all 7 cases, the amyloid was AA in type, being permanganate-sensitive and immunoreactive with anti-human AA protein antiserum. Hepatic deposition was limited to blood vessels, a pattern typical of AA (secondary) amyloidosis. With regard to renal involvement, 4 showed a predominantly vascular pattern of infiltration while 3 exhibited the more ominous glomerular pattern. Three died of chronic renal failure and 2 of congestive cardiac failure attributable to renal and cardiac amyloidosis respectively. One patient succumbed to septicaemia and the remaining 1 to acute myocardial infarction. AA amyloidosis remains a serious and significant complication of leprosy among Malaysians.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Looi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jayalakshim
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rajagopalan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015439:Leprosy, Borderline / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015441:Leprosy, Tuberculoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000685:Serum Amyloid A Protein