Amyloid neuropathy: relationship between amyloid fibrils and macrophages
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 25, 2026
05:48
Rapid Generation of Amyloid from Native Proteins In vitro
Published on: December 5, 2013
Ultrastructural Pathology
|January 1, 1984
Abstract:
A case of amyloid neuropathy associated with a multiple myeloma IgG light chain is reported. Under light microscopy the peripheral nerve exhibited several amyloid deposits. Electron microscopy revealed numerous amyloid deposits; at their periphery, macrophagic histiocytes were observed, containing a few tufts of parallel fibrils in their cytoplasm. A few plasma cells were scattered in the endoneurium and did not exhibit such a relationship. These findings resemble those recently observed in stem-cell cultures of IgG lambda chain human myeloma.
Insights
This study reports a rare case of amyloid neuropathy linked to multiple myeloma. Macrophages in affected nerves contained amyloid fibrils, suggesting a potential role in the disease process.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Oncology
- Pathology
Background:
- Amyloid neuropathy is a rare condition characterized by the deposition of amyloid proteins in peripheral nerves.
- Multiple myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells that can produce abnormal proteins, including immunoglobulin light chains.
Observation:
- Light microscopy revealed amyloid deposits in the peripheral nerve of a patient with multiple myeloma.
- Electron microscopy showed abundant amyloid deposits and macrophagic histiocytes containing amyloid fibrils within the nerve tissue.
Findings:
- The presence of amyloid fibrils within macrophages suggests a cellular response to amyloid deposition in the nerve.
- The observed findings in the patient's nerve tissue share similarities with in vitro studies of myeloma cell cultures.
Implications:
- This case highlights a potential mechanism for amyloid fibril accumulation in neuropathy associated with multiple myeloma.
- Further research into the interaction between macrophages and amyloid deposits may offer new therapeutic targets for amyloid neuropathy.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
03:03Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid fibrils are aggregates of misfolded proteins. Under most circumstances, misfolded proteins are either refolded by chaperone proteins or degraded by the proteasome. However, in the case of a mutation or a disease, these proteins can accumulate to form large clusters and often further assemble to form elongated fibers, called fibrils.
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
03:03Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid fibrils are aggregates of misfolded proteins. Under most circumstances, misfolded proteins are either refolded by chaperone proteins or degraded by the proteasome. However, in the case of a mutation or a disease, these proteins can accumulate to form large clusters and often further assemble to form elongated fibers, called fibrils.
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
01:28Fungal Phylum Microsporidia
Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...
01:28Amebiasis
Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...
01:22Diabetic Neuropathy
DefinitionDiabetic neuropathy is nerve damage caused by long-standing diabetes mellitus. It results directly from prolonged high blood sugar levels.PathophysiologyThe pathophysiology of diabetic neuropathy involves both metabolic and vascular disturbances triggered by chronic hyperglycemia.Metabolic injury: Elevated glucose levels activate the polyol pathway within nerve cells, leading to the accumulation of sorbitol and fructose. This increases oxidative stress, disrupts normal nerve...
01:23Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Alzheimer disease involves structural changes in the brain that begin long before symptoms appear. The most distinctive features are extracellular neuritic plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles.Neuritic plaques form in the cerebral cortex and around blood vessels. These plaques contain a dense core of beta-amyloid (Aβ)—a toxic protein fragment that clumps outside neurons. The core is surrounded by damaged neuronal extensions, as well as reactive astrocytes and microglia. Abnormal...