In histo

pathology Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...

, a Mallory body, Mallory-Denk body, and Mallory's hyaline, is an inclusion found in the

cytoplasm In cell biology, the cytoplasm is all of the material within a eukaryotic cell, enclosed by the cell membrane, except for the cell nucleus. The material inside the nucleus and contained within the nuclear membrane is termed the nucleoplasm. ...

of liver cells. Mallory bodies are damaged intermediate filaments within the liver cells.

Associated conditions

Mallory bodies are classically found in the

liver The liver is a major organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for digestion and growth. In humans, it i ...

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 with ...

(

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 (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 build ...

(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. It occurs in t ...

(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 ''loves eosin'') is the staining of tissues, cells, or organelles after they have been washed with eosin, a dye. Eosin is an acidic dye for staining cell cytoplasm, collagen, and muscle fibers. ''E ...

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, respo ...

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

heat shock protein Heat shock proteins (HSP) 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 expo ...

s, or p62/ Sequestosome 1.

Eponym

It is named for the American pathologist Frank Burr Mallory, who first described the structures in 1911. They were renamed as Mallory-Denk bodies 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 or photomicrograph is a photograph or digital image taken through a microscope or similar device to show a magnified image of an object. This is opposed to a macrograph or photomacrograph, an image which is also taken on a m ...

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

See also

Additional images

References