Immunohistochemical distribution of ferritin, lactoferrin, and transferrin in granulomas of bovine paratuberculosis

Abstract

Granulomatous lesions of bovine paratuberculosis contained ferritin, lactoferrin, and a small amount of transferrin, as demonstrated by the immunohistochemical method. Macrophages in the normal bovine ileum did not contain lactoferrin and transferrin; however, ferritin was found in individual macrophages of Peyer's patches. These results may help elucidate the relationship between intracellular growth of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis and the presence of iron-binding proteins in the granulomas.