[Whipple disease: clinical and immunohistologic findings in 2 cases]

Two cases with typical clinical and histological manifestations of Whipple's disease were reported. Peroral jejunal biopsies were studied in the florid stage and during remission achieved by tetracycline therapy. A complete absence of immunoglobulin-containing cells (Ig-CC) and an increased number of mast cells in the mucosa were established in one of the cases. A 5-fold decrease of the mucosal Ig-CC was found by immunofluorescent morphometry in the second case. An increased Ig-CC number and histological restitution of the mucosa were shown in the first case during remission, whereas histological alterations and decreased Ig-CC number persisted in the second case despite of clinical improvement. The HLA-locus B27 was not available in the reported cases.