"Killer"-type phenomena in the immune pathology of some chronic internal diseases. (Scanning electron microscopy...

Aspects of cytotoxicity followed by cytolysis have been described by many authors in neoplasias. Using scanning electron microscopy, the authors have investigated the cellular population from 179 patients with various chronic internal diseases such as: chronic hepatitis, diabetes mellitus, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia. In some of the forms of disease with severe clinical and biological phenomena, they have detected the presence of "killer" type phenomena, having as target cells either the monocytomacrophage or the T or B lymphocytes. Iconographic aspects are demonstrating the presence of this phenomenon, observed particularly in the peripheral blood. Detection of such phenomena is assumed to provide information on prognosis of the chronic disease investigated and on the effects of therapy at cellular level.