Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 87. (Budapest 1995)

Józsa, L. ; Pap, I.: Histochemical and immunohistochemical analysis of mummy skin

RESULTS Histological examinations HE stained sections presented the silhouettes of skin components but there was no nuclear staining. Epithelium, connective tissue of corium, sebaceous and perspiratory glands were clearly discernible. Sections with picrosyrius staining presented not only anisotropy of corium's collagen fibre, but anisotropy of epithelium's keratin, too, when observed by polar microscope (Fig. 1). Glandular epithelium's nuclei were possible to record beyond reticular fibre and basal membranes applying Gömóri's reticulin staining, but no connective tissue nuclei (Fig. 2). Nuclei were not possible to indicate with any other process in mummified tissues. Epithelium was orange red, collagen was blue or bluish-grey, red blood cells were yellow and erector muscle was bluish-pink in Mallory- and Masson-trichrom stained sections. Masson-trichrom staining produced bright red parts that normally turn blue in collagen fibre. This is a marker of the denaturation of collagen protein. Nerves and blood vessels became recognizable by these methods, but we did not manage to indicate tactile corpuscles or other neurosensory end-organs. Luxol-Fast blue stained specimens presented clearly visible myelin sheath of peripherial nerves (Fig. 3). A large quantity of melanin was present not only in the epithelium but in the cells of hair follicles (Figs 4-5). No sign of marked pathological alteration could be seen and the skin pieces had regular structure. A lesser interstitial haemorrhage could be seen in the skin of one of the mummies. It must have occurred a short time before the individual's death (within 24-48 hours). No red blood cell solution and ferrous pigment (hemosiderin) release could be identified. Elastic fibres were easy to stain with both methods. Histochemical analysis The glycoproteins and proteoglycans of interstitial matrix produced a weak PAS positivity. Epithelium's glycogen was not possible to record. Glycosaminoglycans produced no metachromasy with toluidin blue but they were slightly coloured with alcian blue and alcian blue PAS staining. Basal membranes had moderate PAS positivity as well as the lumen side parts of epithelial cells of perspiratory glands (Fig. 6). Immunohistochemical analysis Immunohistochemical reactions of thick connective tissue fibre containing Type I collagen were of moderate intensity while thin fibre with Type III collagen molecules were extremely intensive (Figs 7-8). Non-fibre forming Type TV collagen could not be detected. Fibronectin and laminin could be found in vessel walls, and laminin could be met with sporadically in basal membranes, too (Fig. 9). Tenascin, trombospondin and vitronectin could not be recognized. As far as cell markers were concerned, muscle specific desmin's presence was detected in certain cells of erector muscle, but there was no staining in others. Vimentin, the marker of connective tissue cells could not be traced though we did not manage to point out fibrocytes (neither with immunohistochemical nor with histological methods). We examined two types of epithelial cell markers, cytokeratin (CK) and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA). CK could be found here and there in the deeper layers of epithelium and almost everywhere in hair follicle and sebaceous gland cells. It had the correct pattern of localization, too (Fig. 10). EMA produced powerful reactions in tectorial and glandular epithelium and also in hair follicle cells