Hepatie Cytopathology in Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (α1,-AT) Deficiency
Open Access
- 1 July 1974
- journal article
- case report
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in American Journal of Clinical Pathology
- Vol. 62 (1) , 118-122
- https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcp/62.1.118
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 filter2 and stained by the periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) reaction,11 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.Keywords
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