A Comparative Immunohistochemical study of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein and S-100 Protein in the Colon of Hirschsprung's Disease

Abstract

The distribution of glial fibrillary acidic (GFA) protein- and S-100 protein-like immunoreactivity was studied in the colons obtained from 24 Japanese children with Hirschsprung's disease. In the enteric nervous system all supportive elements were immunoreactive to S-100 protein, and the activity was localized in the myenteric and submucous ganglia as well as in the intrinsic and extrinsic nerve fibres. On the other hand, GFA protein was present only in the subpopulation of supportive cells within extrinsic nerve fibres which were considered to be parasympathetic preganglionic fibres. We concluded that immunohistochemistry for GFA protein can be of excellent histological value in diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease.