Showing papers by "Charité published in 1973"

Tubular structures in affected and normal skin in chronic discoid and systemic lupus erythematosus: electron microscopic studies.

Abstract: SUMMARY Biopsy specimens of involved and clinically normal skin of thirty-seven patients suffering from different forms of LE were examined ultrastructurally to determine the presence and distribution of tubular structures. They were localized in endothelial cells, histiocytes, macrophages, fibroblasts, keratinocytes and in lymphocytes of the dermal infiltrates, and were mostly intracellular. A correlation was found between their frequency and the acuity of the lesions, but not with previous treatment of the disease, either with steroids or with chloroquine. The involved skin was affected in all cases of systemic lupus erythematosus and severe subacute and disseminated variants of chronic discoid lupus erythematosus, but in only eleven of seventeen cases of the localized form. In clinically normal skin all specimens of SLE examined showed positive results, there were fewer positives in the subacute and the disseminated forms of CDLE and only one positive in localized CDLE. Hypotheses on the origin, nature and significance of the tubular structures are discussed. They are suspected to be unidentified virus particles rather than a reaction product of a virus infection.