Anitschkow myocytes or cardiac histiocytes in human hearts.
The caterpillar chromatin pattern of the nucleus in longitudinal section and owl-eye appearance in transverse section characterize the Anitschkow cell of Aschoff bodies in rheumatic heart disease. Determining whether it is of muscle origin or cardiac histiocyte has been a source of controversy for many years. In a study of fetal and neonatal hearts from humans, vesicular nuclei often displaying the Anitschkow chromatin pattern were the predominant cell type in the myocardium. Because a similar pattern was also observed in two cell types related to laryngeal cartilage and the neighbouring fibrous tissue in a six week old neonate, it was concluded that the Anitschkow chromatin pattern probably indicates cellular immaturity rather than any specific cell type.
Department of Pathology, Wellington School of Medicine, New Zealand.
W E
WE
Stehbens
J M
JM
Zuccollo
D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002843:Chromatin / Q000473:pathology; D005333:Fetus; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology; D006644:Histiocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007830:Larynx / Q000166:cytology; D009132:Muscles / Q000166:cytology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D012215:Rheumatic Nodule / Q000473:pathology*
D002843:Chromatin