Hyaline globules (thanatosomes) in gastrointestinal epithelium: pathophysiologic correlations.
Hyaline globules (HGs; thanatosomes) are well-defined morphologic and functional entities representing a degenerative phenomenon common to all cell types. We present the first quantitative and qualitative study of HGs in normal and pathologic gastrointestinal (GI) epithelium from a series of 2,230 biopsies. HGs were very rarely found in normal epithelium (1.1%), but their number increased significantly in specimens with ischemic injury (47%) and benign regenerative proliferation (70%). Their incidence in adenomatous polyps and adenocarcinomas was about 11% to 27%. Of the HGs, 2.9% contained nuclear fragments. Our results entirely support the unifying morphogenetic concept for HGs. The role of 2 obligatory morphogenetic factors for the generation of thanatosomes (propensity to apoptosis and heterophagy/autophagy) is confirmed. The nature of the third factor, ischemic conditions, is specified. Although a nonspecific microscopic phenomenon, HGs in the GI tract represented a relatively constant and useful histologic marker of enhanced cell turnover and ischemic injury.
Dikov
Dorian I
DI
Service d'Anatomie et Cytologie Pathologiques, Centre Hospitalier Lagny-Marne-La-Vallée, Lagny-sur-Marne, France.
Auriault
Marie Luce
ML
Boivin
Jean François
JF
Sarafian
Victoria S
VS
Papadimitriou
John C
JC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D006818:Hyalin / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010587:Phagocytosis; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000473:pathology