title: Ultrastructure of leprous phlebitis.
abstract: An ultrastructural study on vein biopsies from six lepromatous leprosy patients was carried out. The results showed that a) the lumen-lining bacillated cells were endothelial in origin due to the presence of specific Weibel-Palade endothelial cell granules; b) endothelial cells released Mycobacterium leprae into the lumen by exophagocytosis; c) M. leprae were able to grow and multiply in the endothelial and smooth muscle cells; and d) smooth muscle cells did not show any evidence of reaction due to the presence of M. leprae in their cytoplasm.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D004727:Endothelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007918:Leprosy / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010689:Phlebitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D010873:Pinocytosis; D014680:Veins / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology