title: Comparison of neuropeptide Y, protein gene product 9.5, and acetylcholinesterase in the diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease.
abstract: We compared the results of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) staining of mucosal rectal biopsy specimens with those using neuropeptide Y (NPY) and protein gene product 9.5 (PGP9.5) in biopsies from 68 patients. Thirty-three did not have Hirschsprung's disease (HD), 28 had proven HD, and biopsies from 7 patients had shown a slight increase in AChE stain but the patients did not have HD. In our hands, AChE stain was superior to the other two; it was easier to read and gave the most accurate results with no false-positive cases and only two instances in which the findings were suggestive but not diagnostic. Neuropeptide Y and PGP9.5 have the advantage that they can be used in paraffin-embedded material. With NPY, the results are closer than with PGP9.5 to those obtained with the AChE. Protein gene product 9.5 had the highest incidence of false-positive and false-negative results, but it stains nerve fibers and all neurons intensely and may be useful in the assessment of increased or decreased amounts of neural elements in the bowel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2583, USA.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Galvis
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Yunis
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000293:Adolescent; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006627:Hirschsprung Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000378:metabolism*; D012007:Rectum / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013869:Thiolester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D013869:Thiolester Hydrolases; D043222:Ubiquitin Thiolesterase