Age related detection of tissue amyloid P in the skin.

The presence of tissue amyloid P component in normal skin from fetuses and children was studied using direct, fluorescent, immunohistochemical techniques on frozen sections. Tissue amyloid P is not detected in fetuses or in children up to the age of 2 years but from the age of 4 years upwards it is readily detected and invariably present. Though the function of human amyloid P is unknown its role appears to be age or maturity related.