Periodic disklike structures of the adult human loop of Henle. Light and electron microscopic studies

A total of 51 adult human kidneys was examined for the presence of the periodic disklike thickenings recently described by Belliveau in the basement membrane of the loop of Henle. These "Belliveau bodies" formed a PAS-positive rectangular lattice within the basement membrane and appeared limited to the loop of Henle. The bodies were seen in the medulla of every kidney examined but varied considerably in the frequency of their appearance from case to case. This variability did not correlate with predominant illness, organ weight, or time interval between death and autopsy. They averaged 9 to 14 micron in diameter with a horizontal and vertical periodicity of 12 and 16 micron, respectively. Although the bodies were PAS positive and diastase resistant, they did not stain with Congo red, mucicarmine, reticulin, or elastin staining techniques. Ultrastructurally, they consisted of multilaminated areas of basement membrane material. The constancy of their appearance in the material examined suggests that they are a normal anatomic feature or possibly an age-related change of the basement membrane of Henle's loop in the human kidney.