Detection of Mallory bodies in liver biopsies by
immunolocalization of ubiquitin: comparison with other histochemical
and immunohistochemical methods
Tiniakos D.1, Harrison D.2,
Burt A.D.2, Kittas Chr.1
1Laboratory of Histology
and Embryology, Medical School University of Athens, Greece
2Department of Pathology, Royal
Victoria Infirmary, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K.
Aim: We have investigated ubiquitin expression in a range
of liver diseases associated with ̀allory body formation and have
examined the value of ubiquitin immunohistochemistry in the routine
assessment of liver biopsies by comparing this with other histochemical
and immunohistochemical methods used for the detection of Mallory
bodies.
̀aterial and Method: Material was obtained from patients
with alcoholic liver disease, primary biliary cirrhosis, amiodarone-induced
injury, idiopathic non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and type II glycogenosis.
Results: Mallory bodies were immunoreactive with anti-ubiquitin
(but not with anti-ubiquitin hydrolase PGP9.5) in all forms of
liver disease except type II glycogenosis. Furthermore, anti-ubiquitin
detected greater number of Mallory bodies than histochemical
methods or immunostaining with anti-low molecular weight cytokeratin.
Conclusions: We conclude that ubiquitin is a component
of Mallory bodies in liver diseases of diverse aetiology and that
immunolabelling for this protein is a sensitive method for the
detection of Mallory bodies in routinely-processed liver biopsies.
Key words: Mallory body, liver biopsy, ubiquitin.
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