人癩の病理組織学的研究(第2報)

肺病変に際して出現する泡沫細胞に就いての考察並びに癩細胞に対する一批判

抄録

Lepra cells proposed by Virchow were certificated by Mitsuda to contain lipoid in its hydropic degeneration and derived from leprosy bacillus by its similar histochemical characters. Up to now, the leprosy bacillus and lepra cells were emphasized to carry on a certain symbiosis.
While, advancing application of antileprotic drugs degenerated the bacilli in lepra cells and made difficult to find out bacilli in our autopsied materials, resulting in confounding foamy cells which appear in certain lesions. Therefore, the characters of foamy cells must be again examined.
The histological roles and origination of lipids of the foamy cells in pulmonary diseases such as pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer were histochemically examined to criticize lepra cells.
1) The previous stage of foamy cells derived from the mesodermal especially reticuloendo-thelial system(RES), as its phagocytosis, and for activation of RES a certain bacterium was not always necessary and they can appear in the tissue disturbances in malignant tumors besides inflammation.
2) The specific character of the activated reticuloendothelial system was nothing but phagocytosis.
3) Pathologically isolated lipid by the injuring factors of tissues was taken by the phago-cytotic cells and the protoplasm of the latter accumulates fatty substances to form foamy cells.
4) The above courses could be carried out in the formation of lepra cells. Namely, pathologic fatty substance, as tissue debris of the skin and peripheral nerves severely disturbed were phagocytosed with a number of bacilli, and accumulated in the cells and foamy cells were accomplished. At least, a large amount of lipid observed in the lymph nodes could not be explained by the lipid supplied by the leprosy bacilli. And the fact that a large dose of pathologic lipid produced by the disturbed tissues phagocytosed in a reticuloendothelial cells is more supportable to explain the formation of foamy cells.