Aging and transthyretin-related amyloidosis: pathologic examinations in pulmonary amyloidosis

Although aging is closely related with the onset of senile systemic amyloidosis (SSA) caused by wild-type transthyretin (TTR), the effect of aging on amyloid formation has remained unclear in familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP), caused by variant- and wild-type TTR. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of aging and/or other factors in FAP on amyloid formation in the lung, one of the most important target organs of amyloid deposition in SSA. Pulmonary amyloid distribution was determined using 19 autopsied lung samples from patients with FAP amyloidogenic TTR (ATTR) V30M, the most common type of FAP. Amyloid deposition was observed around the walls of the bronchi/ bronchioles, the pulmonary arteries, and the pulmonary veins, while no amyloid deposits could be found around the lymphatics. In addition, amyloid deposition in the alveolar regions was a characteristic finding in aged patients with FAP ATTR V30M (average ages of the patients with amyloid positive vs. negative: 50.55 +/- 8.75 vs. 39.75 +/- 4.17 years old, p < 0.005), similar to the finding in one SSA patient. These results suggest that aging could play an important role in the progression of pulmonary amyloid formation in FAP ATTR V30M.