Amyloid elastosis: analysis of the role of amyloid P component

We report the second case of amyloid elastosis. Our patient had an underlying primary systemic amyloidosis with lambda light chain paraproteinemia. Salient clinical features included a sclerodermatous facial appearance, cordlike thickening of superficial blood vessels, neck skin resembling that in pseudoxanthoma elasticum, livedo reticularis-like changes on the trunk, Raynaud's phenomenon, arterial and venous thromboses, and the nephrotic syndrome. Amyloid deposits were present in the dermis, around appendages, in blood vessel walls, and in a striking distribution surrounding individual elastic fibers, that appeared shortened and fragmented. Immunofluorescence, electron microscopic, and immunoultrastructural studies with antibodies to lambda light chain, localized the amyloid deposits to the region of the elastic fiber microfibrils, with which amyloid P component (AP) is invariably associated in normal tissues. Because AP binds amyloid fibrils, codistribution of amyloid deposits and AP in amyloid elastosis strongly supports the theory that elastic fiber-associated AP may act as a nidus for amyloid deposition.