Ultrastructure of plasma cells containing Russell bodies in human stomach and thyroid.

The fine structure is illustrated of plasma cells containing Russell bodies. The material is from chronic inflammatory cell infiltrates in human gastric mucosa and thyroid glands in Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. It is noted that the Russell bodies lie in distended cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum and are easily distinguished from less electron-dense ;secretory granules' covered by a smooth membrane that are situated in the Golgi complex.