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Untersuchungen zur Ultrastructurpathologie der Colitis ulcerosa

Investigations on the ultrastructural pathology of the ulcerative colitis

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Summary

The ultrastructural pathology of ulcerative colitis was investigated on a group of 37 colitis patients. Among the epithelial changes, the alterations of the microvilli and of the glycocalyx of the surface epithelium are quite evident. These alterations may possibly be understood as a morphological substrate of a partly impaired “mucosa block” of the surface epithelium (IgA- and “secretory piece” deficiency). Hypothetically, this partly impaired “mucosa block” is considered to be an essential pathogenetic moment of ulcerative colitis. The inflammatory infiltrate of the stratum proprium mucosae is characterized in particular by numerous lymphocytes, plasma cells and macrophages. The close topographical interrelation of these cells observed here seems to indicate a functional cooperation in the auto-immunological process, as it is discussed here in connection with ulcerative colitis.

Zusammenfassung

Die Untersuchungen zur Ultrastrukturpathologie der Colitis ulcerosa wurden an einem Kollektiv von 37 Kolitis-Patienten durchgeführt. Unter den epithelialen Veränderungen fallen vor allem Alterationen der Mikrovilli und der Glykokalyx der oberflächlichen Zylinderzellen auf. Möglicherweise könnten diese als morphologisches Substrat eines zumindest partiell gestörten „Mucosablockes” im Bereich der Oberflächenepithelien (IgA- und “secretory piece”-Mangel) gewertet werden. Hypothetisch wird dieser partiell gestörte „Mucosablock” als wesentliches pathogenetisches Moment bei der Colitis ulcerosa angenommen. Das Entzündungsinfiltrat des Stratum proprium mucosae ist vor allem durch zahlreiche Lymphocyten, Plasmazellen und Makrophagen ausgezeichnet. Aus der hierbei gefundenen engen topographischen Zuordnung dieser Zellen zueinander läßt sich eine funktionelle Kooperation bei dem Autoimmunprozeß vermuten, wie er bei der Colitis ulcerosa diskutiert wird.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pathologisches Institut und I. Medizinische Klinik der Universität Hamburg, Bundesrepublik Deutschland

    Herwart F. Otto, Jan-Olaf Gebbers & K. Müller-Wieland

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  1. Herwart F. Otto
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  2. Jan-Olaf Gebbers
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  3. K. Müller-Wieland
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Herrn Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. C. Krauspe zum 80. Geburtstag.

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Otto, H.F., Gebbers, JO. & Müller-Wieland, K. Untersuchungen zur Ultrastructurpathologie der Colitis ulcerosa. Virchows Arch. A Path. Anat. and Histol. 367, 113–130 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00430949

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