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Neue Befunde an der Lepra lepromatosa

Eine klinische, licht- und elektronenmikroskopische Studie

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Summary

The ultrastructure of the granuloma of a patient with typical findings of lepromatous leprosy (mucosal lepromas, ichthyosiform skin lesions, neurological findings, finding of lepra bacilli in bone marrow, hepatitis lepromatosa, changes of blood proteins) revealed that some histiocytes phagocytize the lepra bacilli and include them into phagolysome-like bodies. The phagocytosis results in degeneration and destruction of the phagocytizing cell. Other histiocytes remain inactive.

The degeneration of the cell begins with a vacuolisation of electron dence bodies containing the bacilli. The „foamy structures” of lepra cells are vacuolized lysosomes of the phagolysosome type.

A great number of cells in leprosy granuloma contain numerous mitochondria with damaged internal structure. They include or are closely related to polymorph osmiophilic bodies.

Zusammenfassung

Bericht über Granulome bei einem Lepra-Patienten mit Befall von Haut- und Schleimhaut, neurologischen Ausfällen, Knochenmarkbeteiligung, Hepatitis lepromatosa und Veränderungen der Blut-Eiweißkörper, nachgewiesen durch die Immunelektrophorese und die Ultrazentrifugen-Sedimentations-analyse.

Das elektronenmikroskopische Bild legt nahe, daß Histiocyten die Lepra-Erreger phagocytieren, jedoch dabei selbst zugrunde gehen. Der Zelluntergang wird durch die Degeneration und Vacuolisierung der Erreger-enthaltenden sekundären Lysosome eingeleitet. Die Folge dieses Prozesses ist die Leprazelle.

Erwähnt werden muß noch eine auffällige Degeneration der Mitochondrien, deren Natur unklar ist.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hautklinik der Universität Köln, Köln, Deutschland

    Constantin Orfanos

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  1. Constantin Orfanos
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Herrn Prof. Dr. A. Wiedmann zum 65. Geburtstag gewidmet.

Durchgeführt mit dankenswerter Unterstützung der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft.

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Orfanos, C. Neue Befunde an der Lepra lepromatosa. Arch. klin. exp. Derm. 225, 218–230 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00518113

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00518113

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