title: Anti-vimentin staining in muscle pathology.
abstract: The intermediate filaments of immature muscle fibres contain desmin and vimentin; vimentin is lacking in mature fibres. Regenerating fibres react with anti-vimentin antibodies and more intensely for desmin than mature fibres. The aim of the present study was to evaluate anti-vimentin staining for muscle pathology. Anti-vimentin-reactive fibres were found in 40 of 89 biopsies assessed. Fifteen patients with progressive destructive myopathy, infantile spinal muscular atrophy, clinically suspected Leigh's disease or unclassifiable congenital myopathy had between 1% and 95% vimentin-positive fibres. Less than 1% positive fibres were found in 25 patients with neuropathy with secondary myopathy or chronic myopathic conditions. Vimentin-positive fibres were lacking in 20 normal biopsies, in eight biopsies with neuropathic and in 21 biopsies with mild or non-destructive myopathic changes. We conclude that staining with anti-vimentin antibodies is a useful indicator for muscle fibre regeneration; it may help establish the diagnosis in infantile spinal muscular atrophy when the histopathology is non-characteristic. The high incidence of reactive fibres in some congenital or early-onset disorders may indicate developmental arrest.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropathology, University of Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bornemann
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schmalbruch
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000737:chemistry*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009132:Muscles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D009124:Muscle Proteins; D014746:Vimentin