Open AccessELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF LIVER LESIONS IN PRIMARY BILIARY CIRRHOSIS
Author(s) -
Tobe Kazuo
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
acta patholigica japonica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 74
ISSN - 0001-6632
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1827.1982.tb02055.x
Subject(s) - pathology , emperipolesis , bile duct , lymphocyte , intracellular , electron microscope , chemistry , medicine , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , immunology , histiocyte , physics , optics , rosai–dorfman disease
An 80 μm bile duct with typical features of chronic non‐suppurative destructive cholangitis was examined by electron microscopy. Many inflammatory cells, including lymphocytes, macrophages and plasma cells infiltrated among epithelial cells of the bile duct. Epithelial cells were compressed and deformed by infiltrating lymphocytes. These lymphocytes were in contact with epithelial cells at small points or large areas. The intercellular distance was about 10 or 20 nm at the contact areas. The mode of contact and intercellular distance coincided with the results of in vitro experiments on lymphocyte cytotoyicity against target cells. Some epithelial cells in contact with lymphocytes showed degenerative changes. Necrotic changes were observed in bile duct epithelial cells undergoing emperipolesis. The invading lymphocyte in the epithelial cell had osmiophilic substances on the surface. These sites of emperipolesis seem to be the areas of lymphocyte cytotoxicity against epithelial cells.