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Characterization of cells involved in the formation of granuloma

An ultrastructural study on macrophages, epitheloid cells, and giant cells in experimental tubulo-interstitial nephritis

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Virchows Archiv B

Summary

In experimental tubulo-interstitial (anti-basement membrane) nephritis of the rat, granulomatous inflammation develops around immunologically altered tubular basement membranes. The present light-and electron microscopic studies indicate that in the course of the granulomatous reaction, tissue monocytes evolve from blood monocytes and pursue two independent pathways of differentation. On the one hand they may differentiate into macrophages (“distant from tubules”) or, alternatively, into epitheloid cells (“adjacent to tubules”). The latter, through cell fusion, develop into multinucleated giant cells of the Langhans’ type. The cytoplasmic components of the epitheloid cells and the multinucleated giant cells should be interpreted as an activation of cellular biosynthesis. Its products, upon being secreted at the immunodefective basement membrane, will obviously serve immune defense mechanisms.

Zusammenfassung

Im Verlaufe der experimentellen tubulo-interstitiellen Nephritis (vom Typ der Antibasalmembrannephritis) der Ratte entwickelt sich um die immunalterierten tubulären Basalmembranen der Rinde eine granulomatöse Entzündung. Die Beteiligung der Monocyten und ihre weitere Differenzierung im Verlaufe des Prozesses wird in Abhängigkeit von der jeweiligen Lokalisation zum Immunort licht-und elektronenmikroskopisch verfolgt: aus den Blutmonocyten gehen die Gewebsmonocyten hervor, die sich einerseits zu Makrophagen („tubulusfern“), andererseits und unabhängig davon zu Epitheloidzellen („tubulusnah“) transformieren. Aus letzteren entstehen durch Verschmelzung die mehrkernigen Riesenzellen vom Langhans-Typ. Die Ausstattung der Epitheloidzellen und erst recht die der Riesenzellen läßt auf eine hohe Aktivierung synthetisierender Prozesse schließen ; diese führt zur Bildung von vesiculären und granulären Elementen, deren Ausschleusung am Immunort nahegelegt wird.

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  1. Department of Pathology, University of Mainz Medical School, Mainz, Federal Republic of Germany

    K. H. Langer & W. Thoenes

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  1. K. H. Langer
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  2. W. Thoenes
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Langer, K.H., Thoenes, W. Characterization of cells involved in the formation of granuloma. Virchows Archiv B Cell Pathol 36, 177–194 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02912065

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02912065

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