Morphometric analysis of nerve fibers in neural leprosy.

Autor: Antunes SLG; Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil., Fazan VPS; Departament of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of the State of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.; Department of Surgery and Anatomy, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of the State of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil., Jardim MR; Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil., Dos Santos Pereira MJ; Departament of Physiological Sciences, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil., da Costa EAF; Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil., Pascarelli BO; Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil., Hacker MAV; Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil., Sarno EN; Leprosy Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil., Barreira AA; Departament of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of the State of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Muscle & nerve [Muscle Nerve] 2021 Apr; Vol. 63 (4), pp. 593-599. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Jan 11.
DOI: 10.1002/mus.27152
Abstrakt: Background: The present study assesses the contributions of axonal degeneration and demyelination in leprosy nerve damage. New clinical strategies can emerge from an in-depth understanding of the pathogenesis of neural leprosy (NL).
Methods: Morphometric analysis of myelinated nerve fibers was performed on 44 nerve biopsy samples collected from leprosy patients. Measures of density, diameter distribution, g-ratios, and the counting of axonal ovoids on the myelinated fibers were taken and compared to those in the control group.
Results: The proportion of small myelinated fibers increased in the leprosy group while large fiber frequency decreased. Indicative of axonal atrophy, the g-ratio was lower in the leprosy group. The frequency of axonal ovoids was identical to that found in the non-leprosy neuropathies.
Conclusions: Axonal atrophy, Wallerian degeneration, and demyelination coexist in NL. Axonal degeneration predominates over demyelination in the chronic course of the disease; however, this may change during leprosy reactive episodes. This study regards demyelination and axon degeneration as concurrent mechanisms of damage to nerve fibers in leprosy. It also calls into question the view that demyelination is the primary and predominant mechanism in the complex pathogeny of NL.
(© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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