Stains & CD markers
Serum amyloid A (SAA)


Editorial Board Member: Lauren N. Stuart, M.D., M.B.A.
Sheren Younes, M.D., Ph.D.

Last author update: 1 September 2017
Last staff update: 26 February 2024

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PubMed Search: Serum amyloid A

Sheren Younes, M.D., Ph.D.
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Cite this page: Younes S. Serum amyloid A (SAA). PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/stainsserumamyloida.html. Accessed March 28th, 2024.
Background
  • Acute phase protein, which has diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic implications in a wide variety of diseases
  • First recognized in serum with its cross reactivity with antisera to amyloid AA of secondary amyloid; both proteins have precursor / product relationship
Structure
  • 104 AA residues
  • N terminal is usually 76 residues identical to protein AA
  • Four genes encode SAA isoforms (SAA1, SAA2, SAA3 and SAA4); it spans 10 kb within the p15.1 region of chromosome 11
  • Each gene encodes a different protein
  • Synthesized in liver
  • In blood, SAA is associated with HDL in acute phase response
  • Expressed variants of protein and mRNA in different tissues, not only liver, also breast, colon, adipocytes, brain (Curr Med Chem 2016;23:1725)
Role of SAA in pathogenesis of different diseases
Role in pathology
Microscopic (histologic) images

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SAA in hepatic adenoma (fig. H)

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