title: [Amyloidosis. Etiology and clinical manifestations].
abstract: Amyloidosis is a disorder of protein metabolism in which autologous proteins are deposited intercellularly as fibrils with characteristic staining properties and ultrastructural features. Amyloid deposits may be focal, localized to a particular tissue or organ, or distributed systemically. Many different chemical forms of amyloid have been identified and amyloid may accumulate as a result of a variety of different pathogenetic mechanisms. Amyloid deposits rarely regress, but rather tend to increase inexorably in size. Since there is no effective therapy for systemic forms of amyloidosis, they carry a poor prognosis in most cases.
authors.affiliation: Afdeling Algemene Inwendige Geneeskunde, Academisch Ziekenhuis Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Schouten
mesh_terms: D000682:Amyloid / Q000378:metabolism; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D000682:Amyloid