Skip to main content
PMC home page
Gut logoLink to Gut
. 1976 Oct;17(10):787–790. doi: 10.1136/gut.17.10.787

Demonstration of an intracellular copper-binding protein by orcein staining in long-standing cholestatic liver diseases.

M Salaspuro, P Sipponen
PMCID: PMC1411183  PMID: 63413

Abstract

Liver biopsies from eight patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, two with chronic active hepatitis of a cholestatic form, three with long-standing alcoholic liver cirrhosis, and one with extrahepatic biliary obstruction were studied. In each case dark brown cytoplasmic material was seen after staining of the tissue sections with Shikata's orcein method. In exactly the same cellular and subcellular locations as the orcein-positive material, and with morphologically equal granules, two different ordinary staining methods for copper (rubeanic acid and Mallory-Parker's haematoxylin) gave positive reactions. The earlier histochemical findings have revealed the protein nature and high sulphydryl content of the orcein-positive material. Its close association with copper in liver sections suggests its copper-binding nature and indicates that a common copper-protein complex accumulates in the cytoplasm of liver cells during longstanding cholestasis in biliary diseases of various pathogenetic origin.

Full text

PDF
788

Images in this article

788Fig. 1
on p.788
788Fig. 2
on p.788

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Evans G. W., Bubois R. S., Hambidge K. M. Wilson's disease: identification of an abnormal copper-binding protein. Science. 1973 Sep 21;181(4105):1175–1176. doi: 10.1126/science.181.4105.1175. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Evans G. W. Copper homeostasis in the mammalian system. Physiol Rev. 1973 Jul;53(3):535–570. doi: 10.1152/physrev.1973.53.3.535. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Fleming C. R., Dickson E. R., Baggenstoss A. H., McCall J. T. Copper and primary biliary cirrhosis. Gastroenterology. 1974 Dec;67(6):1182–1187. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gibbs K., Walshe J. M. Studies with radioactive copper ( 64 Cu and 67 Cu); the incorporation of radioactive copper into caeruloplasmin in Wilson's disease and in primary biliary cirrhosis. Clin Sci. 1971 Sep;41(3):189–202. doi: 10.1042/cs0410189. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. HUNT A. H., PARR R. M., TAYLOR D. M., TROTT N. G. RELATION BETWEEN CIRRHOSIS AND TRACE METAL CONTENT OF LIVER WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PRIMARY BILIARY CIRRHOSIS AND COPPER. Br Med J. 1963 Dec 14;2(5371):1498–1501. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5371.1498. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Leeson P. M., Fourman P. A disorder of copper metabolism treated with penicillamine in a patient with primary biliary cirrhosis and renal tubular acidosis. Am J Med. 1967 Oct;43(4):620–635. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(67)90185-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Salaspuro M. P., Sipponen P., Ikkala E., Kolho L., Makkonen H. M., Miettinen T. A., Räsänen J. A., Siurala M. Clinical correlations and significance of orceinpositivity in chronic active hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis. Ann Clin Res. 1976 Jun;8(3):206–215. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Sherlock S., Scheuer P. J. The presentation and diagnosis of 100 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. N Engl J Med. 1973 Sep 27;289(13):674–678. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197309272891306. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Shikata T., Uzawa T., Yoshiwara N., Akatsuka T., Yamazaki S. Staining methods of Australia antigen in paraffin section--detection of cytoplasmic inclusion bodies. Jpn J Exp Med. 1974 Feb;44(1):25–36. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Sipponen P., Salaspuro M. P., Makkonen H. M. Orcein positive hepatocellular material in histological diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis. Ann Clin Res. 1975 Aug;7(4):273–277. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Smallwood R. A., McIlveen B., Rosenoer V. M., Sherlock S. Copper kinetics in liver disease. Gut. 1971 Feb;12(2):139–144. doi: 10.1136/gut.12.2.139. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Sternlieb I. Evolution of the hepatic lesion in Wilson's disease (hepatolenticular degeneration). Prog Liver Dis. 1972;4:511–525. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Wager O., Räsänen J. A., Haltia K., Wasastjerna C. M components with antibody activity. Anti-smooth muscle, anti-thyroglobulin and anti-streptolysin-O activity in five M component sera. Ann Clin Res. 1971 Apr;3(2):86–97. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Worwood M., Taylor D. M., Hunt A. H. Copper and manganese concentrations in biliary cirrhosis of liver. Br Med J. 1968 Aug 10;3(5614):344–346. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5614.344. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Gut are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES