Artigas J, Niedobitek F, Grosse G, Bonk G, Heise W; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 1989 Jun 4-9; 5: 601 (abstract no. W.C.P.60).
Department of Pathology, Federal Republique of Germany
OBJECTIVE: To describe the morphological changes of the vacuolar myelopathy (VM). Such morphological studies are rare and thus the pathogenesis of this frequent condition is poorly understood. METHODS: The spinal cord of 42 HIV-infected patients was examined with conventional histology, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. RESULTS: In 24 cases a mild (7 cases), moderate (12 cases) or severe myelopathy (5 cases) was found. Fusiform vacuoles, 50 to 180 um in diameter and 200 to 800 um in length, delimited by a thin sheath of distended myelin, are present in the white matter. Clusters of macrophages, phagocytosing axons of apparently preserved structure, are found into the vacuoles. The foamy macrophages contain rest of axons; only in one case with severe tissue disruption they contain myelin debris too. In 5 cases, some macrophages, microglia cells and multinucleated cells show HIV-antigen (p24 and gp41). A strong astrogliosis is present in the white and grey matter. Proliferation of microglia cells is present between the neurons in the grey matter. CONCLUSIONS: VM is a more frequent condition as previously thought. In VM a process of phagocytosis directed against the axon cylinders occurs simultaneously with vacuolar degeneration of the white matter. The vacuoles arises between the axolemma and the myelin sheath.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Central Nervous System Viral Diseases
- Giant Cells
- HIV
- HIV Antigens
- HIV Seropositivity
- Humans
- Immunohistochemistry
- Macrophages
- Microscopy, Electron
- Myelin Sheath
- Spinal Cord
- Spinal Cord Diseases
- Vacuoles
- anatomy & histology
- immunology
Other ID:
UI: 102179069
From Meeting Abstracts