Hepatic cytopathology in alpha 1 antitrypsin (α1 AT) deficiency

H. S. Cooper, P. K. Gupta

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Liver cell washings from a patient with known alpha 1 antitrypsin (α1 AT) deficiency were obtained at autopsy. The washings were processed on a Millipore filter and stained by the periodic acid Schiff (PAS) reaction, both before and after digestion with diastase, and the Papanicolaou multichromatic stain. With the Papanicolaou stain, individual cells and small fragments of liver tissue were observed to contain intracellular granules approximately 1 to 20 μ in size. These were orange, with some showing a fine blue rim or halo around them. These granules stained with PAS and were diastase resistant. Intact extracellular granules, identical to those seen within the hepatocytes, were observed with these stains. Study of the hepatocytes with α1 AT deficiency by Papanicolaou stain has not been previously reported. It is believed that liver cell washings processed and stained with Papanicolaou stain can help establish the diagnosis of alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency, especially in cases of cirrhosis where adequate tissue samples may be difficult to obtain.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)118-122
Number of pages5
JournalAmerican Journal of Clinical Pathology
Volume62
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1974

Keywords

  • Autopsy
  • Cytoplasmic Granules
  • Death, Sudden
  • Dyspnea/etiology
  • Female
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Heart Failure/etiology
  • Humans
  • Liver/pathology
  • Lung/pathology
  • Metabolism, Inborn Errors/complications
  • Middle Aged
  • Smoking/complications
  • Staining and Labeling
  • alpha 1-Antitrypsin/metabolism

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