Immunohistochemical Detection of Propionibacterium acnes in Granulomas for Differentiating Sarcoidosis from Other Granulomatous Diseases Utilizing an Automated System with a Commercially Available PAB Antibody

Propionibacterium acnes is implicated in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis. We investigated the usefulness of immunohistochemistry (IHC) with a commercially available P. acnes-specific monoclonal antibody (PAB antibody) for differentiating sarcoidosis from other granulomatous diseases. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples from 94 sarcoidosis patients and 30 control patients with other granulomatous diseases were examined by the original manual IHC method. We also compared the detection frequency of P. acnes in sarcoid granulomas between manual and automated IHC methods. P. acnes was detected in sarcoid granulomas of samples obtained by transbronchial lung biopsy (64%), video-associated thoracic surgery (67%), endobronchial-ultrasound-guided transbronchial-needle aspiration (32%), lymph node biopsy (80%), and skin biopsy (80%) from sarcoidosis patients, but not in any non-sarcoid granulomas of the samples obtained from control patients. P. acnes outside granulomas, however, was frequently detected in both groups. The detection status of P. acnes in granulomas did not correlate with the clinical characteristics of sarcoidosis patients. The automated Leica system exhibited the best detection sensitivity (72%) and almost an identical localization for P. acnes in sarcoid granulomas compared with the manual method. IHC with a PAB antibody is useful for differentiating sarcoidosis from other granulomatous diseases by detecting P. acnes in granulomas. An automated method by the Leica system can be used in pathology laboratories for differential diagnosis of granulomas by IHC with the PAB antibody.

Automated summary

Propionibacterium acnes is associated with the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis. Immunohistochemistry with a PAB antibody can differentiate sarcoidosis from other granulomatous diseases by detecting P. acnes in granulomas. The automated Leica system has the best detection sensitivity for P. acnes in sarcoid granulomas.