Intercellular substances in Hodgkin's lymphomas

Summary

20 biopsy specimens, selected from lymph node biopsies of 100 untreated patients with Hodgkin's disease, were investigated electron microscopically to examine the formation of extracellular material at ultrastructural level.

In the lymphocyte predominance type (2 cases) intercellular substance consists of a moderate amount of fine granular material. In nodular sclerosis (9 cases) different types of fibrillar structures can be distinguished: Typical collagen fibers including “spiny collagen”, fibrils of 80–100 A thickness without periodicity, and peculiar cross banded structures (dense bands: 400–600 A, periodicity of 1 000–1 300 A). In areas rich in fibrillar intercellular substance activated macrophage-like cells predominate. The mixed cellularity type (6 cases) shows small amounts of intercellular material. In places there is a peculiar rhythmic arrangement of this material, with a resemblance to the cross banded structures. Lymphocyte depleted cases (3 examples) also reveal homogenous, flocculent and cross banded intercellular material. The latter structures are rather abundant, esp. in areas of so-called hyalinosis.

These different structural organizations of fibrillar and banded intercellular substances are considered to be the expression of a varying arrangement and deposition of collagen fibers and their precursors. The development of cross banded structures may be related to altered synthetic processes. The role of macrophage-like cells in the production of the fibrous material is discussed.