A tissue sample from almost any cirrhotic liver will contain at least small
quantities of stainable copper in periportal hepatocytes (and, for orcein
True Believers, metallothionein / copper-associated / copper-binding
protein) -- visit the autopsy suite, I recommend, and leave the poor dogs
and their vets alone.

Orcein staining has the advantage that the internal control of
high-sulfhydryl elastic fibres is present.

Primary biliary cirrhosis or primary sclerosing cholangitis cases are more
luridly positive, and in more hepatocytes, than are run-of-the-mill
cirrhoses, but any chronic-cholestasis condition will do except, oddly,
Alagille syndrome:  Maybe hepatocytes need feedback from bile ducts (which
are lacking in peripheral liver in that disorder) to store copper?

Idly musing in a 200-liver-transplant / year specialty lab, 

Alex Knisely

At 08:53 28/11/01 -0800, Tarpley, John wrote:
>--snip snip--
>It would be difficult to find control material of human origin. Wilson's 
>disease is rare, and the patient has usually (though not aways) been treated
>
>to remove the copper. Perhaps a recipient liver from a transplant for
>primary 
>biliary cirrhosis would contain enough copper to be stainable, and would 
>provide abundant control material.
>
>I recall reading a good many years ago that positive control material can be
>
>prepared by feeding a rat chow laced with 0.5% copper acetate for six
>months, 
>and staining sections of the liver. If the rat survives the experience till 
>the fatal day.
>
>Bob Richmond
>Samurai Pathologist
>Knoxville TN
>
>Additionally some lines of Bedlington(sp?) terriers have a copper storage
>disease similar to Wilson's disease in humans. A veterinary college might be
>able to provide control blocks. Several years ago when I worked at the
>University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine, we used to save all
>the liver we could get from such cases and then used it ourselves for
>control as well as sending it out to other labs including the then active
>CDC Tissue Control Bank which sadly is no longer active.
>
>John E. Tarpley 5-1-A
>Associate Scientist
>Amgen Inc.
>One Amgen Center Drive
>Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 
>These Opinions are my own and not necessarily those of my employer.
>
>
Alex Knisely, MD
Consultant Histopathologist

alex.knisely@kcl.ac.uk
 
Institute of Liver Studies
King's College Hospital
Denmark Hill
London  SE5 9RS  UK
 
+44 (0)20 - 7346 - 3125 telefax
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