Cellular blebbing in superficial colonic epithelial cells occurring with murine graft-versus-host disease.
Subnuclear blebbing of the superficial colonic epithelium, a rarely described light and electron microscopic change in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), was studied in a murine model of GVHD. Severity of changes induced by transfer of various donor T cell subsets to irradiated, allogeneic recipients, and association with more severe alterations such as erosions and ulceration were evaluated. By light microscopy the basal region of the superficial enterocytes was greatly expanded by eosinophilic to amphophilic, flocculent, sometimes vacuolated material. By electron microscopy these changes were found to be organelle-poor, cytoplasm-filled protrusions from the basal surface of the epithelium. In this model, helper T cells (CD(4+)-enriched, CD(8+)-depleted T cells) transplanted after high dose irradiation were capable of causing the change suggesting cytokine responses may be involved in mediating the cellular injury seen histologically. Close association of blebbing and erosions suggest the blebbing may be the precursor to epithelial erosion or denudation seen in severe intestinal GVHD.
Eigenbrodt
M L
ML
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Medical School, Houston 77030, USA.
Kneitz
J S
JS
Thiele
D L
DL
Eigenbrodt
E H
EH
D000818:Animals; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D015388:Organelles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000637:transplantation; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000637:transplantation; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000648:ultrastructure
D016207:Cytokines