title: [Peripheral nerve changes in Tangier disease. Comparative light-, electron-microscopic and cytometric studies (author's transl)].
abstract: A sural nerve biopsy was performed in a 55-year-old male patient with Tangier disease (familial-lipoprotein deficiency). Light-microscopy showed an increase in the endoneural connective tissue and a loss of nerve fibers indicating a chronic peripheral neuropathy. Electron-microscopy revealed an accumulation of lipid droplets within Schwann cells of myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers. When compared with age-matched controls the myelinated fiber density was reduced with a relative preponderance of small myelinated fibers. In addition, distributional cytometric studies of nerve fibers in relation to the perineurium and endoneurial capillaries showed: Contrary to 4.6-7.5 micron thick nerve fibers, which accumulated in the center of the nerve fascicle, small (0.5-4.5 micron) and large (7.6-10.0 micron) fibers lay nearby the perineurium. The measured increase in small myelinated nerve fibers around endoneurial capillaries may be explained as a sign of regeneration.
mesh_terms: D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007009:Hypolipoproteinemias / Q000473:pathology*; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000032:analysis; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013631:Tangier Disease / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids
vernacular_title: Licht- und elektronenmikroskopische sowie cytometrische Untersuchungen an periphern Nerven beim Morbus Tangier.