title: Enumeration of Paneth cells in coeliac disease: comparison of conventional light microscopy and immunofluorescence staining for lysozyme.
abstract: By conventional light microscopy, a reduced number of Paneth cells per intestinal crypt was found in the jejunal mucosa of patients with untreated or gluten-challenged coeliac disease as compared with histologically normal control specimens. A much better detection sensitivity was obtained when Paneth cells were counted by fluorescence microscopy after immunostaining for lysozyme with a rhodamine-labelled rabbit IgG conjugate. This method showed that there was no numerical reduction of Paneth cells in coeliac disease, but that the proportion of cells with a low lysozyme content was increased. Most of these cells were probably missed by conventional microscopy in which identification of Paneth cells is principally based on a substantial cellular complement of acidophilic granules. A reduced number of lysozyme-containing granules in coeliac disease may reflect increased discharge enhanced secretory activity, or a raised turnover of the Paneth cells.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology*; D007583:Jejunum / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009113:Muramidase / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D009113:Muramidase