Renal adenocarcinoma and systemic amyloidosis. Immunohistochemical and histochemical studies

We present six patients with associated renal adenocarcinoma and systemic amyloidosis. In five of the patients amyloidosis showed clinical and organ distribution characteristics of reactive (secondary) amyloidosis. The amyloid deposits contained amyloid A protein as defined by potassium permanganate sensitivity and by reactivity with anti-amyloid A antiserum. Four of these patients had suffered from additional inflammatory diseases. In the sixth patient the amyloid disease had different clinicopathologic characteristics and was evidently of an immunoglobulin light-chain-derived type related to a concomitant multiple myeloma. Although renal carcinoma seems to be an effective stimulator of amyloid formation, the possible contributory influence of associated chronic inflammation deserves more careful appraisal.