General Pathology Division, Triângulo Mineiro Federal University, Uberaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Pathol Res Pract. 2010 Apr 15;206(4):248-52. doi: 10.1016/j.prp.2009.12.004. Epub 2010 Jan 25.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the morphological characteristics of the esophageal epithelium (EE) and its local immunity. Esophageal fragments of autopsied women were collected from 1980 to 2008, and two groups were analyzed: with AIDS (n=17) and without AIDS (n=12). The measurement of the esophageal epithelium was carried out through the image analysis software ImageJ, and the immunostaining of Langerhans cells (LCs) was carried out using anti-S100 antibody. Women with AIDS, when compared with women without AIDS, had significantly thinner EE (220.6 versus 243.5 microm), a less number of LCs (6.2 versus 18.8 LCs/mm(2)), and a higher percentage of immature or morphologically altered LCs (66.6 versus 40.0%). The malnourished women, when compared with normonourished women, regardless of AIDS, had significantly thinner EE (227.1 versus 238.0 microm) and a less number of LCs (6.2 versus 12.5 LCs/mm(2)). The percentage of immature or morphologically altered LCs was the same in both groups. Additionally, the women with AIDS (7.0 versus 2.8%) and the malnourished women (5.8 versus 3.1%) presented a significantly higher percentage of fibrosis. We concluded that AIDS and malnutrition contribute to the decrease in esophagus local immunity and, therefore, to a possible increase in local opportunistic infections.
本研究旨在评估食管上皮（EE）的形态特征及其局部免疫。从 1980 年至 2008 年收集了尸检妇女的食管片段，并分析了两组：艾滋病组（n=17）和非艾滋病组（n=12）。通过图像分析软件 ImageJ 进行食管上皮的测量，并用抗 S100 抗体进行朗格汉斯细胞（LCs）的免疫染色。与非艾滋病妇女相比，艾滋病妇女的 EE 明显变薄（220.6 与 243.5 微米），LC 数量较少（6.2 与 18.8 LCs/mm²），不成熟或形态改变的 LC 比例较高（66.6 与 40.0%）。与营养良好的妇女相比，营养不良的妇女（无论是否患有艾滋病）的 EE 明显变薄（227.1 与 238.0 微米），LC 数量较少（6.2 与 12.5 LCs/mm²）。两组中不成熟或形态改变的 LC 比例相同。此外，艾滋病妇女（7.0%与 2.8%）和营养不良妇女（5.8%与 3.1%）纤维化的比例明显更高。我们得出结论，艾滋病和营养不良导致食管局部免疫下降，从而可能导致局部机会性感染增加。
