Question

A 56-year-old man presents to the outpatient clinic with increased fatigability, purpura, weight loss, bone pain, and pallor. CBC was done and revealed marked anemia, thrombocytopenia, and increased white blood cell count, and differential showed marked increase in plasma cells. CT head was done and showed multiple hypodense areas in the skull bone.

A tissue biopsy was taken and stained positive with Congo red. What is the protein stained in the specimen?

Answer 1

The protein stained with Congo red in the patient's tissue biopsy is indicative of Amyloidosis, which is an amyloid protein.

Step-by-step explanation:

The protein that is stained positive with Congo red in the tissue biopsy of a 56-year-old man presenting with symptoms such as increased fatigability, purpura, weight loss, bone pain, pallor, and laboratory findings such as marked anemia, thrombocytopenia, increased white blood cell count, and a marked increase in plasma cells could be indicative of Amyloidosis. The presence of amyloid proteins can be identified by the Congo red stain, which binds to the beta-pleated sheet structure of the amyloid fibrils, demonstrating an apple-green birefringence under polarized light.