[Histochemical detection of hepatic iron. A comparative study of four stains]

Abstract

Due to its specificity and easiness, Perls' stain is widely used in the histochemical assessment of liver iron content. However, it can underestimate slight iron overload, which can hamper screening for genetic hemochromatosis, especially in young people. The aim for the present study was to compare Perls' stain to three other specific iron stains (Tirmann-Schmeltzer (TRM); Hukill and Putt (HPT); Perls with Diaminobenzidine (DAB)), biochemical liver iron concentration (LIC) being used as the reference. 1) There is a significant difference between number of stained cells with TRM or DAB, compare with Perls' stain (p < 0.05). 2) Correlation (r) between histological assessment (T) and LIC was 0.39 for Perls' stain, 0.64 for TRM 0.53 for HPT and 0.64 for DAB. These data suggest that Perls' stain is not the most sensitive method for the assessment of slight iron overload. Tirmann-Schmeltzer's stain and Perls plus dAB should be preferred, especially in the screening of early liver siderosis.