title: PTAA and B10: new approaches to amyloid detection in tissue-evaluation of amyloid detection in tissue with a conjugated polyelectrolyte and a fibril-specific antibody fragment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We analysed the suitability of two little known substances for the detection of amyloid in surgical pathology specimens, that is the conjugated polyelectrolyte polythiophene acetic acid (PTAA) and the camelid antibody domain B10.
  
  
  METHODS
  We compared the amyloid detection of PTAA and B10 to Congo red in 106 amyloid-containing tissue biopsies of diverse anatomical and precursor origin by evaluating the accordance in four grades (grade 0: no staining, grade 1: staining of <33% of the amyloid deposits, grade 2: 33-66% and grade 3:>66%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  PTAA showed grade 2-3 staining in 57 (54%) cases, while B10 presented this accordance in only 25 (24%) tissue biopsies. Grade 1 staining was found in 11 (10%) samples with PTAA and in 62 (58%) cases with B10. No staining at all (grade 0) occurred in 38 (36%) biopsies when using PTAA and in 19 (18%) cases when using B10.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although conformation-sensitive detection seemed promising, PTAA and B10 stain only a fraction of the examined amyloid samples when using routine surgical pathology settings. This study emphasises the necessity of having optimised pre-analytical protocols for recovery, storage and handling of samples if these novel amyloid ligands are to be used in routine diagnosis of amyloid.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Charité University Hospital, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kieninger
authors.forename: Zarina
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gioeva
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krüger
authors.forename: Gunilla T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Westermark
authors.forename: Ralf P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Friedrich
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fändrich
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Röcken
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000737:chemistry*; D000682:Amyloid / Q000032:analysis*; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000737:chemistry*; D001706:Biopsy; D002162:Camelus / Q000276:immunology; D003224:Congo Red / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012042:Registries; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D000682:Amyloid; D000906:Antibodies; D011108:Polymers; D013876:Thiophenes; C066730:polythiophene; D003224:Congo Red