[Ultrastructural characteristics of gastric mucosal epithelial cells of AIDS patients complicated with chronic gastritis].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate ultrastructural features of gastric mucosal epithelial cells of AIDS patients complicated with chronic gastritis.

METHODS

Ten AIDS patients with alimentary tract symptoms underwent gastroscopy and biopsy of gastric mucosa was performed by random method. All the biopsy specimens were examined by electron microscopy.

RESULTS

There were swelling, vacuolar degeneration and increased density of mitochondria, dissociated ribosomes in the cytoplasm, and dilation of rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi's apparatus. Some gastric mucosal cells were in different stages of apoptosis. The gastric mucosal cells of the control subjects with chronic gastritis but without AIDS showed swelling of mitochondria to different extents and necrosis of epithelial cells.

CONCLUSION

Injuries of gastric mucosal epithelial cells of AIDS patients complicated with chronic gastritis may be more severe than those seen in the control subjects and the mechanism of the more severe injuries is unclear.