Trypsin Digestion on Paraffin Sections Is a Useful Tool for Diagnosis of Alport Syndrome

Abstract

Trypsin digestion for 90 min revealed the α₅ chain of type IV collagen along the glomerular basement membrane and Bowman's capsule in paraffin-embedded renal sections of controls. In the 9 patients with the ultrastructures suggestive of Alport syndrome (AS), 8 patients were classified as X-linked dominant type due to the lack or mosaic pattern of α₅ chain in paraffin sections of renal biopsies by trypsin digestion, and 1 patient was classified as autosomol recessive type due to the lack of α₅ chain in the glomerular basement membrane only. Trypsin digestion is useful for the diagnosis of AS in paraffin-embedded renal tissue.

Keywords:

• Alport syndrome
• antigen unmasking
• formaldehyde
• trypsin digestion
• type IV collagen α₅ chain

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.