Abstract
Tissue samples were collected from patients with crystal-induced arthritis and were sliced to make sections with ordinary paraffin. Then, analysis of crystals were attempted in the sections using an Electron Probe Micro Analyzer (EPMA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and μX-ray diffraction (μXRD) . With the EPMA, the distribution condition of the precipitate, identification of the elements, and the contents were analyzed. The XRD identified chemicals contained in the entire tissues. The μXRD focused on the precipitate obtained by the EPMA to identify the chemicals. Consequently, it was possible for the tissue samples to be analyzed for crystal conditions by making the sections with paraffin treatment. The results of the XRD showed no diffraction peak indicating crystal substances. However, the results of the μXRD showed a diffraction peak indicating crystal substances. Use of the EPMA provided an accurate understanding of the crystal distribution at sites where crystal presence was suspected, and to identify the kinds of elements and measurements the contents. Moreover, histopathological specimens at the same sites were made, by which tissular lesions around the crystals could be observed. Conventionally, analyses of crystals were conducted after the crystal body was removed. The analysis using sections with paraffin reveals the difference of elements among individual crystals in a tissue and the difference of structural elements between the surface and the inside of a crystal. This method using blocks with paraffin is able to analyze cases in the past and to compare the cases with histologic pictures in terms of reaction condition of cells around the crystals. Therefore, this analysis proved to be a very useful method for the characterization of crystal-induced arthritis.
