elastin and Tuberculosis

Topics: Collagen; Cost of Illness; Elastin; Europe; European Union; Health Care Costs; Humans; Matrix Metalloproteinases; Sputum; Tuberculosis; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

In a study of caseous pulmonary nodules, it was found possible to identify the cellular and connective tissue background of the caseous material. In the absence of liquefaction, the connective tissues were found to retain their reaction to special stains indefinitely, and fibrin could be identified for periods up to one year after the onset of caseation. This allowed recognition of the part of lung involved and of pathological changes which had preceded caseation. Identification of the site of the suppurative "focus" in the respiratory bronchiole was important because bacilli could be found there most readily. Though lesions often outlined the acinus with clarity, the only value of the term "acinar" was to define the limits of one particular lesion.

Topics: Coloring Agents; Connective Tissue; Elastin; Fibrin; Granulation Tissue; Humans; Lung; Pathology; Staining and Labeling; Terminology as Topic; Tuberculosis; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary