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XANTHOMA FORMATION BY HUMAN β ‐LIPOPROTEIN IMMUNE COMPLEXES IN RABBIT BLOOD STREAM
Author(s) -
Kodama Hajime
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
the journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1346-8138
pISSN - 0385-2407
DOI - 10.1111/j.1346-8138.1978.tb01052.x
Subject(s) - histiocyte , xanthoma , immune system , lipoprotein , antibody , chemistry , immunohistochemistry , cholesterol , blood stream , foam cell , pathology , biology , immunology , biochemistry , medicine
Two untreated rabbits and two rabbits sensitized with human β ‐lipoproteins were intravenously injected with human β ‐lipoproteins (20 mg as proteins) once a day for 18 days. One of the sensitized rabbits revealed three xanthomas along a yellow tendon of the left leg. Elevation of serum cholesterol level by the repeated injections was slight. Histologically, the xanthomas showed many foam cell nests around the vessels. Numerous polymorphonuclear cells and histiocytes were observed in the central area of these nests. Mature foam cells crowded the peripheral zone. In the intermediate zone, immature foam cells appeared. Immunohistochemical and lipid histochemical studies indicated the incorporation of human β ‐lipoproteins into the histiocytes and immature foam cells. In the mature foam cells, however, apoproteins of human β ‐lipoproteins had been degraded. The xanthomas apparently developed from the incorporation of extravasated human β ‐lipoprotein immune complexes into dermal histiocytes. It is conceivable that human β ‐lipoproteins were incorporated more easily in the aggregated immune complex form than in their natural form. Another possibility is that human β ‐lipoproteins were more readily incorporated when they were rendered polycationic by complexing with immunoglobulins.