The electron microscopic studies on the bone marrow cells in 15 cases of Ig-G myeloma, 3 cases of Ig-A myeloma, 1 case of Bence Jones type myeloma and 3 cases of Waldenström's macroglobulinemia were carried out.
In one case of macroglobulinemia the plasma cell was predominant in the bone marrow and subsequently recognized it as Ig-M producing cell. As it was not so in the remaining two cases of macroglobulinemia, to elucidate the macroglobulin producing cell, the ferritin antibody technique was applied to the marrow cells in these 2 cases.
1. Uniformly proliferated myeloma cells were morphologically slightly different from case to case. The different figures of rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum in each cases were classified in 4 types:
(1) Type 1: the possibly immature type of a few, long and narrow cisternae.
(2) Type 2: uniformly lamellar type.
(3) Type 3: moderately dilated type.
(4) Type 4: highly dilated type.
Sometimes desmosome-like figures were observed in the adjacent two myeloma cells, and suggested the origin of this cell. In comparison with the normal plasma cell the specific figures of the myeloma cells with the irregular configurations of the nucleus, occasionally dispersed chromatin, intranuclear inclusion bodies, variously developed ergastoplasm, prominent Golgi area, many dense bodies and the fibrillar structure were all strongly suggestive of a very active synthesis of immunoglobulins and the neoplastic nature.
2. One case of Waldenström's macroglobulinemia with the predominance of plasma cell showed the varied stages of their maturity. This predominant plasma cell had intranuclear inclusion body with one-layered, limiting membrane and the inner substance of homogeneously low electron density and the cytoplasmic and lysosomal crystolloid structure with parallel dense lines about 60Å wide with a periodicity of about 120Å.
3. According to the ferritin antibody technique, ferritin particles were found in only two kinds of marrow cells: the plasma cell and the large lymphocyte with broad cytoplasm, a prominent Golgi area, numerous mitochondria and abundant free ribosomes. Ferritin particles were seen mainly in the Golgi area and dense bodies of the plasma cell and in the cytoplasm with rich free ribosomes of the large lymphocyte. Thus, the plasma cells of the varied maturity and the large lymphocyte in such cases may possess the same function of macroglobulin-production.
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