Leukocyte chemotactic factor 2 amyloidosis cannot be reliably diagnosed by immunohistochemical staining

We investigated the role of leukocyte chemotactic factor (LECT2) immunohistochemical staining in the diagnosis of type of renal amyloidosis. Fifty renal amyloidosis cases with available paraffin blocks in our 2002 to 2012 renal biopsy files were reviewed. Patients were designated as a defined amyloid, including amyloid light chain (AL) and amyloid-associated amyloid (AA), or a non-AL/non-AA amyloid group. LECT2-specific antibody immunohistochemistry was performed in all 50 cases. Laser microdissection and mass spectrometry (LMD/MS) were performed in 10 cases. Forty-five patients had amyloid classified as either AL (44) or AA (1), and 5 had undetermined amyloid. Three of the five non-AL/non-AA group patient biopsies showed positive LECT2 immunohistochemical staining, and of these, LECT2 was also identified by LMD/MS in 1 patient, fibrinogen-α was identified in 1 patient, and apolipoprotein IV was identified in 1 patient. Two of these non-AL/non-AA patients showed negative LECT2 staining, and LMD/MS showed apolipoprotein IV as a major protein component. Five of the 44 AL amyloid patients showed weakly positive LECT2 staining. However, LECT2 was not identified by LMD/MS in any of these 5 cases. The single patient with AA amyloid was negative for LECT2 by immunohistochemical staining. Among 5 non-AL and non-AA amyloidosis patients in our study, 1 had LECT2, 1 had fibrinogen-α, and 3 had apolipoprotein IV as a major protein component. The data from this study show that weak LECT2 staining should be regarded as indeterminate or a negative result and does not per se allow diagnosis of specific amyloid type. The diagnosis of LECT2 renal amyloidosis may require LMD/MS confirmation.