ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY OF LIVER-LESIONS IN PRIMARY BILIARY-CIRRHOSIS .2. A BILE-DUCT WITH CHRONIC NON-SUPPURATIVE DESTRUCTIVE CHOLANGITIS

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  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 32  (2) , 345-359
Abstract
An 80-.mu.m bile duct with typical features of chronic nonsuppurative destructive cholangitis was examined by EM. Many inflammatory cells, including lymphocytes, macrophages and plasma cells infiltrated among epithelial cells of the bile duct. Epithelial cells were compressed and deformed by infiltrating lymphocytes. These lymphocytes were in contact with epithelial cells at small points or large areas. The intercellular distance was .apprx. 10 or 20 nm at the contact areas. The mode of contact and intercellular distance coincided with the results of in vitro experiments on lymphocyte cytotoxicity against target cells. Some epithelial cells in contact with lymphocytes showed degenerative changes. Necrotic changes were observed in bile duct epithelial cells undergoing emperipolesis. The invading lymphocyte in the epithelial cell had osmiophlic substances on the surface. These sites of emperipolesis seem to be the areas of lymphocyte cytotoxicity against epithelial cells.