title: Immunohistochemical detection of human intestinal spirochetosis.
abstract: Human intestinal spirochetosis (HIS) is a colorectal infection by Brachyspira species of spiral bacteria. Immunohistochemical cross-reaction to an antibody for Treponema pallidum aids its histologic diagnosis. This study's aim was to analyze the immunohistochemical characteristics of HIS. In this analysis, on 223 specimens from 83 HIS cases, we focused on so-called fringe formation (a histologic hallmark of HIS), spiral organisms within mucus or within crypts, and strong immunopositive materials in the mucosa, together with their location and the types of lesions. Fringe formation was found in 81.6% of all specimens and spiral organisms within mucus or within crypts in 97.3% and 57.0%, respectively. Strong immunopositive materials were observed in the surface epithelial layer in 87.9%, in the subepithelial layer in 94.6%, and in deeper mucosa in 2.2% of all specimens. The positive rates in conventional adenomas (24.0%, n = 146) and hyperplastic nodules (100%, n = 17) were each different from that found in inflammation (70.8%, n = 24), and spiral organisms were seen more frequently in the right-side large intestine than in the left (within mucus, 100%, n = 104 versus 95.0%, n = 119; within crypts, 65.4%, n = 104 versus 49.6%, n = 119). Thus, immunohistochemistry was effective not only in supporting the diagnosis of HIS but also in highlighting spiral organisms within mucus or crypts that were invisible in routine histology. Possibly, these spiral organisms may spread throughout the entire large intestine, although there is a potential problem with antibody specificity.
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Defense Medical College Hospital, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan; Department of Diagnostic Pathology, JCHO Saitama Medical Center, Saitama, 330-0074, Japan. Electronic address: sogata@ndmc.ac.jp.
authors: Sho
authors: S
authors: Ogata
authors: Department of Diagnostic Pathology, JCHO Saitama Medical Center, Saitama, 330-0074, Japan.
authors: Ken
authors: K
authors: Shimizu
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Defense Medical College Hospital, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan.
authors: Tomohiro
authors: T
authors: Oda
authors: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan.
authors: Susumu
authors: S
authors: Tominaga
authors: Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Defense Medical College Hospital, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan.
authors: Kuniaki
authors: K
authors: Nakanishi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D017400:Brachyspira / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D007420:Intestine, Large / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies
keywords: Brachyspira; Human intestinal spirochetosis; Immunohistochemistry; Large intestine; Treponema pallidum