Ultrastructural study of 62 cases of human primary hepatic carcinoma
Cheng, B.G.; Wang, N.J.; Zhang, Y.H.; Huang, L.; Zhang, S.P.; Wu, C.Y.; Zhou, L.L.; Yue, P.L.
Chinese Medical Journal 98(8): 575-581
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0366-6999 PMID: 3004839 Document Number: 257575
We studied the ultrastructure of 62 specimens of primary hepatic carcinoma collected between 1974 and 1980. Of the 62 specimens, 15 had lesions smaller than 3 cm in diameter and belonged to the category of small hepatic carcinoma. The biological characteristics were studied by electron microscope. Emphasis was put on the study of the ultrastructure of liver cell dysplasia and cancer cell, sensitized lymphocytes and cancer cells and lysosomes and cancer cells. Most of the liver cells around the cancer nodules were normal in appearance but a few scattered liver cell dysplasia might be precancerous. The infiltrating lymphocytes had lethal effects on the target cells in the following three ways: a. Being possibly T lymphocytes in nature, they closely attached themselves or were fused with the hepatoma cells and liberated lymphotoxin to kill or to dissolve the target cells. b. Those which might be B lymphocytes in nature showed transition to plasmacytes producing antibodies against the antigenic materials released by the cancer cells or degenerated cells. c. In some cases with actively proliferating cancer cells, the organelles in the lymphocytes were so sparse that only a few scattered mitochondria were observed in the cytoplasm.