Identification of mineralized elastic fibers on wet samples by SEM.
A method is described that could be of potential use for the rapid ultrastructural identification of abnormal and fragmented elastic fibers in very small wet samples of dermal biopsies from patients affected by Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE). Moreover, the method, which consists of the use of sealed capsules transparent to electrons, allows the rapid and accurate localization and detection of mineralized areas in PXE patients and of their ion composition by X-ray microanalysis. This methodology could be of great help in any tissue disorder, especially in connective tissue disorders, characterized by structural alterations associated with ion precipitation.
Boraldi
Federica
F
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Tonelli
Massimo
M
Gheduzzi
Dealba
D
Ronchetti
Ivonne Pasquali
IP
Quaglino
Daniela
D
D001706:Biopsy; D002114:Calcinosis; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D004547:Elastic Tissue / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004549:Elastin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis; D006801:Humans; D007477:Ions / Q000032:analysis; D011561:Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*
D007477:Ions; D004549:Elastin