Summary
The topographic distribution, population density, and ultrastructural features of mast cells were studied in six cases of cerebellar capillary hemangioblastoma. The vascular area of tumor tissue contained large numbers of mast cells (6.3 cells/high power field, ×400) in comparison with hyalinized area (0.3 cell) and adjacent cerebellar tissue (<0.1 cell). Close association of mast cells with endothelial cells and stromal cells was found. The morphology of mast cell granules and their degranulation through dissolution of granule contents and exocytosis were illustrated. The findings suggest that an increased number of mast cells may represent one of the characteristic histological features of capillary hemangioblastoma, and continuous degranulation of mast cell granules with release of heparin may play an important pathophysiologic role in the vascular proliferation and expansion of the tumor.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Azizkhan RG, Azizkhan JC, Zetter BR (1980) Mast cell hepatin stimulates migration of capillary endothelial cells in vitro. J Exp Med 152:931–944
Barnett ML (1974) The fine structure of human connective tissue in periodontal disease. J Periodont Res 9:84–91
Baroni C (1964) On the relationship of mast cells to various soft tissue tumors. Br J Cancer 18:686–691
Belcher RW, Czarnetzki BM, Carney JF, Gardner E (1974) Multiple (subeutaneous) angiolipomas. Clinical, pathologic and pharmacologic studies. Arch Dermatol 110:583–585
Clooms GD (1974) Structural and biochemical characteristics of mast cells. In: Zweifach BW, Grant L, McCluskey RT (eds) The inflammatory process, vol 1, chap 10. Academic Press, New York, pp 295–312
Cancilla PA, Zimmerman HM (1965) The fine structure of a cerebellar hemangioblastoma. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 24: 621–628
Caulfield JP, Lewis RA, Hein A, Austen KF (1980) Secretion in dissociated human pulmonary mast cells. J Cell Biol 85:299–312
Cervós-Navarro J (1971) Elektronenmikroskopie der Hämangioblastome des ZNS und der angioblastischen Meningiome. Acta Neuropathol (Berl) 19:184–207
Chandhry AP, Montes M, Cohn GA (1978) Ultrastructure of cerebellar hemangioblastoma. Cancer 42:1834–1850
Cohen MP, Frank RN, Khalifa AA (1980) Collagen production by cultured retinal capillary pericytes. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 19:90–94
Combs JW, Lagunoff D, Benditt EP (1965) Differentiation and proliferation of embryonic mast cells of the rat. J Cell Biol 25:577–592
Cowley EP, Hoch-Legeti C (1961) Association of tissue mast cells in skin tumors. Arch Dermatol 83:92–104
Dalion J (1965) Mastocytes et tumerus vasculaires. J Sci Med 83:683–691
Dropp JJ (1979) Mast cells in the human brain. Acta Anat 105:505–513
Dvorak Am, Galli SJ, Schulman ES, Lichtenstein LM, Dvorak HF (1983) Basophil and mast cell degranulation: Ultrastructural analysis of mechanisms of mediator release. Fed Proc 42:2510–2515
Eady RAJ, Jones EW (1977) Pseudopyogenic granuloma. Enzyme histochemical and ultrastructural study. Human Pathol 8:653–668
Ehrlich P (1879) Beiträge zur Kenntnis der granuleirten Bindegewebszellen und der eosinophilen Leukocyten. Arch Anat Physiol 3:166
Giani E (1964) Sul comportamanto della metacromasia stromale and delle mastzellen nei tumori di origine mesenchimale. G Ital Chir 20:95–109
Glowacki J, Mulliken JB (1982) Mast cells in hemangiomas and vascular malformations. Pediatrics 70:48–51
Greenberg G, Burnstock G (1983) A novel cell-to-cell interaction between mast cells and other cell types. Exp Cell Res 147:1–13
Henriquez AS, Kenyon KR, Allansmith MR (1981) Mast cell ultrastructure. Comparison in contact lens-associated giant papillary conjunctivitis and vernal conjunctivitis. Arch Ophthalmol 99:1266–1272
Ho KL (1984) Ultrastructure of cerebellar capillary hemangioblastoma. I. Weibel-Palade bodies and stromal cell histogenesis. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol (in press)
Ibrihim MZM (1974) The mast cells of the mammalian central nervous system. I. Morphology, distribution and histochemistry. J Neurol Sci 21:341–478
Janes J, McDonald JR (1948) Mast cells. Their distribution in various human tissues. Arch Pathol 45:622–632
Jaques LB (1975) The mast cells in the light of new knowledge of heparin and sulfated mucopolysaccharides. Gen Pharmacol 6:235–243
Johansson S, Hook M (1980) Heparin enhances the rate of binding of fibronectin to collagen. Biochem J 187:521–524
Kawamura J, Garcia JH, Kamijyo Y (1973) Cerebellar hemangioblastoma: Histogenesis of stroma cells. Cancer 31:1528–1539
Kawanami O, Ferrans VJ, Fulmer JD, Crystal RG (1979) Ultrastructure of pulmonary mast cells in patients with fibrotic lung disorders. Lab Invest 40:717–734
Kessler DA, Langer RS, Pless NA, Folkman J (1976) Mast cells and tumor angiogenesis. Int J Cancer 18:703–709
Kim CS, Lee YB (1978) Mast cell changes in skin disease. Yonsei Med J 19:16–24
Kumar P, Kumar S, Marsden HB, Lynch PG, Earnshaw E (1980) Weibel-Palade bodies in endothelial cells as a marker for angiogenesis in brain tumors. Cancer Res 40:2010–2019
Lagunoff D (1972) Contribution of electron microscopy to the study of mast cells. J Invest Dermatol 58:296–311
Lagunoff D, Pritzl P (1976) Characterization of rat mast cell granule proteins. Arch Biochem Biophys 173:554–563
Lascano EF (1959) Mast cells in human tumors. Cancer 11:1110–1114
Lemanske RF, Jr, Atkins FM, Metcalfe DD (1983) Gastrointestinal mast cells in health and disease. Part I. J Pediatr 103:177–183
Marom Z, Casale TB (1983) Mast cells and their mediators. Ann Allergy 50:367–370
Metcalfe DD, Kaliner M, Donlon MA (1981) The mast cell. CRC Crit Rev Immunol 3:23–74
Mottaz JH, Zellekson AS, Thorne EG, Wachs G (1973) Blood vessel changes in psoriatic skin. Acta Derm Venerol (Stockh) 53:195–198
Murad TM, Von Haam E, Murthy MSN (1968) Ultrastructure of a hemangiopericytoma and a glomus tumor. Cancer 22:1239–1249
Pasyk KA, Grabb WC, Cherry GW (1983) Ultrastructure of mast cells in growing and involuting stages of hemangiomas. Hum Pathol 14:174–181
Quensel U (1933) Studien über die Gewebsmastzellen. Acta Pathol Biol Scand [Suppl] 16:358–569
Riley JF (1959) The mast cells. Livingstone, Edinburgh
Ryan TJ (1970) Factors influencing the growth of vascular endothelium in the skin. Br J Dermatol [Suppl 5] 82:99–111
Sage H, Crough E, Bornstein P (1979) Collagen synthesis by bovine aortic endothelial cells in culture. Biochemistry 18:5433–5442
Sagher F, Even-Paz Z (1967) Mastocytosis and the mast cell. Year Book Med Pub. Chicago, p 246
Sakamoto S, Goldhaber P, Glimcher MJ (1973) Mouse bone collagenase: The effect of heparin on the amount of enzyme released in tissue culture and on the activity of the enzyme. Calcif Tissue Res 12:247–258
Selye H (1965) The mast cell. Butterworth, Washington, p 293
Simpson JW, Taylor AC (1974) Regulation of gingival collagenase: A possible role for a mast cell factor. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 145:42–47
Smith SS, Basu PK (1970) Mast cells in corneal immune reaction. Can J Ophthalmol 5:175–183
Soter NA, Austen KF (1976) The diversity of mast cell-derived mediators: Implication for acute, subacute and chronic cutaneous inflammatory disorders. J Invest Dermatol 67:313–319
Spence AM, Rubinstein LJ (1975) Cerebellar capillary hemangioblastoma: Its histogenesis studied by organ culture and electron microscopy. Cancer 35:326–341
Taylor AC (1971) Collagenolysis in culture tissue. II. Role of mast cells. J Dent Res 50:1301–1306
Thureson-Klein A, Stijarne L (1979) Ultrastructural features of mast cells in human omental veins. Blood Vessels 16:311–319
Trotter CM, Orr TS (1973) A fine structure study of some cellular components in allergic reactions: I. Degranulation of human mast cells in allergic asthma and perennial rhinitis. Clin Allergy 3:411–425
Uvnas G (1976) Chemistry and storage function of mast cell granules. J Invest Dermatol 71:76–80
Wassermann SI (1980) The lung mast cell: Its physiology and potential relevance to defense of the lung. Envionm Health Perspect 35:153–161
Weinstock A, Albright JT (1967) The fine structure of mast cells in normal human gingiva. J Ultrastruct Res 17:245–256
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ho, K.L. Ultrastructure of cerebellar capillary hemangioblastoma. Acta Neuropathol 64, 308–318 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00690396
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00690396