Electron microscopic observations on a fibrous component in amyloid of diverse origins.

Abstract

AMYLOIDOSIS in man and animals may be associated with other disease entities or may occur spontaneously. The relationship, if any, of the different forms of amyloid has proved difficult to ascertain, and the chemical nature of amyloid has not been established. Previous studies have indicated that it is predominantly protein in nature1,2 and have suggested that the protein is not primarily collagen3 or γ-globulin4. No chemical differences have been noted in amyloid of different sources. The precise definition of the amyloid protein has, however, been hampered by its insolubility in organic solvents.