histopathology Histopathology (compound of three Greek words: 'tissue', 'suffering', and '' -logia'' 'study of') is the microscopic examination of tissue in order to study the manifestations of disease. Specifically, in clinical medicine, histopatholog ...

, a Mallory body, Mallory–Denk body (MDB), or Mallory's hyaline is an

inclusion Inclusion or Include may refer to: Sociology * Social inclusion, action taken to support people of different backgrounds sharing life together. ** Inclusion (disability rights), promotion of people with disabilities sharing various aspects of lif ...

found in the

cytoplasm The cytoplasm describes all the material within a eukaryotic or prokaryotic cell, enclosed by the cell membrane, including the organelles and excluding the nucleus in eukaryotic cells. The material inside the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell a ...

of liver cells. Mallory bodies are damaged

intermediate filaments Intermediate filaments (IFs) are cytoskeletal structural components found in the cells of vertebrates, and many invertebrates. Homologues of the IF protein have been noted in an invertebrate, the cephalochordate ''Branchiostoma''. Intermedi ...

within the liver cells.

Associated conditions

Mallory bodies are classically found in the

liver The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...

s of people suffering from alcohol-induced liver disease and were once thought to be specific for that. They are most common in

alcoholic hepatitis Alcoholic hepatitis is hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) due to excessive intake of alcohol. Patients typically have a history of at least 10 years of heavy alcohol intake, typically 8–10 drinks per day. It is usually found in association wi ...

(

prevalence In epidemiology, prevalence is the proportion of a particular population found to be affected by a medical condition (typically a disease or a risk factor such as smoking or seatbelt use) at a specific time. It is derived by comparing the number o ...

of 65%) and alcoholic cirrhosis (prevalence of 51%). They are a recognized feature of

Wilson's disease Wilson's disease (also called hepatolenticular degeneration) is a genetic disorder characterized by the excess build-up of copper in the body. Symptoms are typically related to the brain and liver. Liver-related symptoms include vomiting, wea ...

(25%),

primary biliary cirrhosis Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), previously known as primary biliary cirrhosis, is an autoimmune disease of the liver. It results from a slow, progressive destruction of the small bile ducts of the liver, causing bile and other toxins to buil ...

(24%), non-alcoholic cirrhosis (24%),

hepatocellular carcinoma Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer in adults and is currently the most common cause of death in people with cirrhosis. HCC is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. HCC most common ...

(23%) and morbid obesity (8%), among other conditions. However, it has also been reported in certain other unrelated conditions.

Appearance

Mallory bodies are highly

eosinophilic Eosinophilic (Greek suffix '' -phil'', meaning ''eosin-loving'') describes the staining of tissues, cells, or organelles after they have been washed with eosin, a dye commonly used in histological staining. Eosin is an acidic dye for stainin ...

and thus appear pink on

H&E stain Hematoxylin and eosin stain ( or haematoxylin and eosin stain or hematoxylin–eosin stain; often abbreviated as H&E stain or HE stain) is one of the principal tissue stains used in histology. It is the most widely used stain in medical diag ...

. The bodies themselves are made up of intermediate cytokeratin 8/ 18 filament

proteins Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, re ...

that have been ubiquitinated, or bound by other proteins such as

heat shock protein Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are a family of proteins produced by cells in response to exposure to stressful conditions. They were first described in relation to heat shock, but are now known to also be expressed during other stresses including ex ...

s, or p62/ Sequestosome 1.

Eponym

It is named for the American pathologist Frank Burr Mallory, who first described the structures in 1911. A renaming as Mallory–Denk bodies was proposed in 2007 to honor the contribution of Austrian pathologist Helmut Denk for the molecular analysis of the pathogenesis of MDBs.

Additional images

Image:Mallory body high mag.jpg,

Micrograph A micrograph is an image, captured photographically or digitally, taken through a microscope or similar device to show a magnify, magnified image of an object. This is opposed to a macrograph or photomacrograph, an image which is also taken ...

showing a Mallory body. Original magnification 400X.

. Image:Mallory body intermed mag.jpg,

showing a Mallory body. Original magnification 200X.

. Image:CDC mallory bodies.jpg, Liver micrograph showing abundant Mallory bodies, as seen in alcohol use disorder. Image:Hepatocellular carcinoma intermed mag.jpg, Mallory bodies in

. Trichrome stain.

References

{{Digestive system and abdomen symptoms and signs Alcohol and health Histopathology

Associated conditions

Appearance

Eponym

Additional images

See also

References