태아 간의 포식세포에 관한 면역조직화학적 양상

초록

The immunohistochemical characteristics of macrophages in 19 human fetal liver from 7 to 36 weeks of gestation had been investigated. The Kupffer cells were already consisted of the primitive sinusoidal lining in embryonic livers. Partly an intravascular macrophage cluster was also observed. A single CD68-positive cell was rarely found in the intravascular and extravascular space during the embryonic period. During the highly active period of hepatic hemopoiesis, macrophages appeared in erythroblastic islands and sometimes included several immature erythroblasts and its cytoplasmic processes were observed between the erythroblasts consisting of erythroblastic island. At this time Kupffer cells were more numerous and hypertrophied than those of the embryonic period. The cells also contacted with several immature erythroblasts in the sinusoidal lumen and phagocytosed the enucleated nuclei of acidophilic erythroblasts. According to the decline of hepatic hemopoiesis, the size of erythroblastic island was smaller than one of the highly active period of hepatic hemopoiesis and the macrophage gradually disappeared in the erythroblastic island. Kupffer cells around 26 weeks of gestation were most numerous and biggest among those of the period investigated, but thereafter the cells were smaller and the number was also reduced. These results suggest that macrophages assist erythropoiesis by serving as center for extravascular erythroblastic island, and role of Kupffer cells is akin to one of macrophages.

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