Mizu Kojima

Ultrastructural and functional development of macrophages in the dermal tissue of rat fetuses

SummaryAfter about 12 days of gestation, fetal macrophages begin to appear in the subepidermal mesenchyme of rat fetuses. The macrophages are ultrastructurally characterized by cytoplasmic vacuoles, abundant polyribosomes and long filopodia. Immunocytologically, they possess Fc and complement (C3) receptors on the cell surface and are capable of immune phagocytosis, Latex or carbon phagocytosis, and glass adherence. From 15 days of gestation, lysosomal granules and miropinocytic vesicles gradually develop, together with an enlargement of Golgi complexes, whereas the number of polysomes and the number and size of cytoplasmic vacuoles are gradually reduced when gestation ends. Finally, the macrophages become amoeboid. Non-specific esterase and endogenous peroxidase activities are always absent in these macrophages. In culture experiments with cell suspensions prepared from the mesenchyme, fetal macrophages show a similar maturation process. Autoradiography with 3H-thymidine demonstrates a high proliferative capacity of the macrophages, particularly during the fetal stage.

Waldenström's macroglobulinemia terminating in immunoblastic sarcoma. A case report.

An autopsy case of 69‐year‐old man wth Waldenströms macroglobulinemia terminating in immunoblastic sarcoma is reported. In the course of this case, the appearance of plasmocytoid lymphocytes was initially observed in peripheral blood smears and bone marrow punctures, but lymph node biopsy and bone marrow aspirations performed in the terminal stage, as well as autopsy, revealed a diffuse monotonous proliferation of immunoblasts in the lymphoreticular tissues. With the immunofluorescence method and PAP method of Taylor,11 IgM K type of immunoglobulin was demonstrated in the cytoplasm of the proliferating cells, and the electron microscopic enzyme‐labeled antibody technique identified localization of the immunoglobulin in the nuclear envelope and rough endoplasmic reticula of the immunoblasts. The results indicate that the initial appearance of plasmocytoid lymphocytes in this case and its terminal transformation into immunoblastic sarcoma are rare phenomena occurring in a single clone proliferation disorder of B‐cell synthesizing IgM k immunoglobulins.

Immunoelectron microscopic study of Hodgkin's disease.

Seven patients with Hodgkins disease were studied for the presence of lysozyme and alpha‐1‐antitrypsin activity by immunoelectron microscopy. As a result, Reed‐Sternberg cells, Hodgkins cells, and atypical cells were distinctly positive for lysozyme in four cases and weakly positive in the remaining three cases. These cells were also positive for alpha‐1‐antitrypsin in all cases. Because the cells of the monocyte–macrophage lineage also bore lysozyme and alpha‐1‐antitrypsin, it is suggested that Reed‐Sternberg cells, Hodgkins cells, and the atypical cells are derived from the monocyte–macrophage lineage.

Toxicity and Delayed Type Hypersensitivity Caused by Microcystis Blooms from Lake Kasumigaura

Blue-green algae belonging to the genus Microcystis were mostly responsible for the development of massive surface blooms in eutrophic waters (4, 6). It has been reported that there are a number of peptide or peptide-containing toxins of undefined structure produced by strains and blooms of Microcystis (1, 7, 9). Most toxins had bytotoxic properties which caused extensive hemorrhage in the liver (5, 9). In

An electronmicroscopical study on peroxidase activity of rabbit monocytes, resident and exudate macrophages.

Changes of peroxidase (PO) activity in blood monocytes, untreated or stimulated peritoneal macrophages and subcutaneous exudate macrophages of rabbits were investigated with the glucose‐oxidase method in the culture experiments of these cells after their in vitro or in vivo adherence to the surface of foreign bodies. 1) PO activity was demonstrated in the nuclear envelope (NE) and rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) in 75% of the untreated peritoneal macrophages. 2) Blood monocytes, most of the stimulated peritoneal macrophages, and subcutaneous exudate macrophages showed no PO positivity. 3) In the in vitro culture of blood monocytes and stimulated peritoneal macrophages, there appeared from 2 hours cells showing PO positivity in NE and rER. 4) Although blood monocytes, stimulated peritoneal macrophages, and subcutaneous exudate macrophages after their in vivo surface adherence showed no PO positivity, it appeared in these cells when further cultured in vitro. From the fact that such a positive change of PO activity in these cultured cells is not only a transient phenomenon but also in vitro cultural one, we cannot subscribe to the view that blood monocyte is the precursor of resident macrophages. ACTA PATHOL. JPN. 32: 445∼460, 1982.

Plasmacytoma of Lymph Node Recurrent Lymphadenopathy Terminating in Plasma Cell Dyscrasia with Polyneuropathy and Endocrine Disturbances

A case with lymphadenopathy of the left side of the neck in a 38‐year‐old male is described. He had a history of several relapses of about 10 years duration. Swollen lymph nodes were histologically similar to those of the hyaline‐vascular type of Castlemans disease, but contained clear‐cut lymph sinus and a sheet‐like proliferation of plasma cells. Lymph follicles showed proliferation and atrophic germinal centers, in which cellular hypertrophy in the wall of ramifying small blood vessels, called angiosclerosis, was frequently encountered. During its progress, the patient developed plasmacytoma of the lymph nodes with varied clinical manifestations such as polyneuropathy, disturbance of gait, unusual perspiration, hirsuitism, gynecomastia, bilateral papilledema, and albumino‐cytologic dissociation in cerebrospinal fluid.

Immunocytological characterization of the constituent cells of the secondary nodules in human tonsils - II.

Analysis of the morphological and immunocytological characteristics of the germinal center cells in vivo gives a clue to the question of what germinal centers really do. In a previous work (1), the relationship of germinal centers to the possession of B-cell surface characteristics (SIg, Fc receptor & C3 receptor) and the functional differentiation of the germinal center cells were investigated using human tonsils.

An ultrastructural study of the primary follicle in the lymph node.

The present authors have studied the cellular composition of the primary follicle (PF) in the germ‐free rat lymph nodes and the development of PF in the human lymph node anlages by using the light‐and the electron microscopy. According to the ultrastructural study, the cellular composition of PF in the germ‐free rat lymph nodes are classified into five cell types, 1) lymphocytic cells (small and medium‐sized lymphocytes), 2) large lymphocytes (=large germinal center cells), 3) reticulum cells with desmosome (RED), 4) desmodendric cells (DDC), and S) histiocytes. The interstitial cells with desmosome are classified into DDC and RED based on the relationship to collagenous fibers and the morphological differences. There are amorphous electron‐dense intercellular materials among the cytoplasmic processes of DDC, which are distinguished from histiocytes based on the morphological differences. PF emerges as a spherical aggregation of young DDC straight underneath the marginal sinus in the outer cortex of the human embryonal lymph node anlages on the 16th fetal week.

An electron microscopic study on the reticuloendothelial cells in the lymph nodes.

In an attempt to clarify the cytological characteristics of the RES cells in the lymph nodes and their embryological correlations, lymph nodes and lymph node anlages of germ‐free rats, nude mice, and human fetuses were light and electron microscopically examined. On the basis of differences of intracellular organelles, their behaviors for reticulum fibers and of endogenous peroxidatic activity, histiocytes should be reasonably distinguished from the cells conventionally called reticulum cells. Reticulum cells and histiocytes respectively are destined to differentiate in different directions from the early stage of development of the lymph node anlage. Sinus endothelial cells are ontogenetically originated and differentiated from the endothelial lining cells of lymphatic vessels. Primitive reticular cells are differentiated into mature reticulum cells in the lymph nodes, they transform into the lympho‐reticular cells, further into lymphoblasts, and finally develop into medium‐sized lymphocytes.

GAMMA HEAVY CHAIN DISEASE

Electron microscopic and immunohistochemical studies were carried out on materials obtained from three patients of gamma heavy chain disease (λ‐HCD). Electron microscopically, proliferating cells showed various stages of maturation from immunoblast to plasma cell, and the majority of proliferating cells were proplasmacytes and plasma cells. From the intracytoplasmic immunoglobulin studies by immunoperoxidase method (PAP method) and electron microscopical enzyme‐labeled antibody technique, proliferating cells, such as the immunoblast, plasmablast, proplasmacyte, and plasma cell, showed positive reaction to anti‐λ‐heavy chain serum and anti‐Fc fragment (IgG) serum, and also in a third case with Bence Jones protein, proliferating cells showed positive reaction to anti‐K light chain serum. We would conclude that proliferating cells in λ‐HCD might be a single clone proliferation of B‐cell synthesizing λ‐HCD protein, and the predominant proliferation cells are proplasmacytes and plasma cells situated near mature plasma cells in the B‐cell line.