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Relationship of lysozyme (muramidase) to histiocytic differentiation in malignant histiocytosis an immunohistochemical study
Author(s) -
Mendelsohn Geoffrey,
Eggleston Joseph C.,
Mann Risa B.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19800115)45:2<273::aid-cncr2820450212>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - histiocyte , pathology , atypia , lysozyme , malignant histiocytosis , staining , medicine , immunohistochemistry , neoplasm , biology , genetics
Malignant histiocytosis (MH) is a rare, usually fatal systemic disease considered to be a neoplasm of true histiocytes. Because MH may be difficult to differentiate from non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas or carcinoma, we examined surgical and autopsy material from 10 patients with MH using the immunoperoxidase technique to determine if the presence of intracellular lysozyme is helpful in making this distinction. The cases of MH were divided into three groups based on the degree of cytologic atypia and the amount of phagocytic activity of the neoplastic cells: group I—minimal cytologic atypia and rare erythrophagocytosis; group II—minimal cytologic atypia with extensive erythrophagocytosis: group III—moderate to marked cytologic atypia and rare phagocytosis. Moderate to strong staining for lysozyme was observed in the neoplastic cells of group I, weak or absent staining in group II cells, and no staining in group III cells. These findings suggest the loss of detectable enzyme in poorly differentiated or dedifferentiated neoplastic histiocytes. Consideration must be given to these observations in evaluating the use of lysozyme as a possible serum or tissue aid to the diagnosis of MH.