[Histonet] Re: Amyloid

[Robert Richmond]

I think I've posted to Histonet on this subject before, with no
response - about amyloid controls. Amyloid control tissue is extremely
hard to get, since amyloidosis is quite a rare disease, and very few
autopsies are performed these days. Controls I've seen lately are
usually from surgically resected medullary thyroid carcinomas, but
this is a rare disease also, and something of an off-brand amyloid
(formed from calcitonin) is present in only about 25% of them. The
need to cut fresh sections every time means that blocks are quickly
exhausted.

Amyloidosis of the AA type is rather easily induced in mice - see
http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/search/ProductDetail/SIGMA/A2765
for a little information and a brief bibliography (I have no
connection with Sigma-Aldrich).

I would think that this mouse tissue containing amyloid could be used
as a control. Does anyone use it?

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN