Immunohistochemical study of bovine lymph nodes with antibodies against S100 protein subunits: comparison between lymph nodes of healthy and Mycobacterium paratuberculosis-infected cattle.

Using immunohistochemistry, the differential distribution of the alpha subunit (S100 alpha) and beta subunit (S100 beta) of S100 protein was studied in mesenteric lymph nodes from normal or Mycobacterium paratuberculosis-infected cattle. In epithelioid cell granulomas, S100 alpha-positive epithelioid cells and some giant cells were scattered among S100 alpha-negative cells, which were predominant. The S100 beta-positive and -negative cells contained acid-fast bacilli. The presence of S100 beta-positive cells was not demonstrated in the granulomas. In normal component cells in the lymph nodes, follicular dendritic cells in the germinal centres and endothelium of lymphatic sinus and lymph vessels were positive for S100 alpha. S100 beta was positive only in the endothelial cells of blood vessels. Results shown in the present paper are discussed in light of results obtained in other work on human tissues using the same sources of antibodies.