title: Small-bowel abnormalities in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Jejunal biopsies were performed in 12 randomly chosen patients with multiple sclerosis. The jejunal mucosa was examined histologically, ultrastructurally, and by tissue immune techniques. Histology showed a normal mucosa in 7 patients, increased inflammatory-cell infiltration in 3, a partial villous atrophy in 1, and a subtotal villous atrophy in the remaining patient. Fine structural abnormalities were seen in 6 of 8 patients studied. These included microvillous changes, increase in theliolymphocytes and epithelial lysosomes, thickening of the connective tissue with or without collagen fibres, and numerous macrophages containing large amounts of membrane-bound electron-dense material. The latter was seen in 5 of the 8 mucosae examined.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007583:Jejunum / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*