title: Occurrence of tubuloreticular structures and intracisternal paracrystalline inclusions in endothelial cells of tissue from different epidemiological types of Kaposi's sarcoma.
abstract: Biopsied tissue specimens from 40 cases of classic, atypical classic, endemic, and AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) were investigated by electron microscopy. To search for ultrastructural differences between non-AIDS-associated KS and AIDS-associated KS, the occurrence of the following 2 ultrastructural abnormalities of the rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum in KS cells was evaluated semi-quantitatively: tubuloreticular structures (TRS) and intracisternal paracrystalline inclusions (IPI). These peculiar structures were found in 23 of the 40 KS cases. Two types of TRS could be distinguished: loose TRS (LTRS) and compact ones (CTRS). LTRS were observed in endothelial cells of tissue from all the different epidemiological types of KS. CTRS were confined to AIDS-associated KS. IPI were present in endothelial tumor cells of only 3 non-AIDS-associated KS cases. The study shows that in cells of KS tissue only CTRS, but not LTRS, are an ultrastructural marker for AIDS-associated KS.
authors: Institute of Molecular Virology, GSF National Research Center for Environment and Health, Neuherberg, Germany.
authors: Karl-Horst
authors: KH
authors: Marquart
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018870:Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D008875:Middle Aged; D012514:Sarcoma, Kaposi / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*