Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory InvestigationsUniversity of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
History
Studies on Epidemic Influenza: Comprising Clinical and Laboratory Investigations
University of Pittsburgh. School of Medicine
Influenza; Influenza Epidemic, 1918-1919
There appears to be a relation between the development of these fatty
streaks and the altered cholesterin metabolism, brought about by
pathological change in the blood, adrenal cortex and it may be in the
liver. It is under these conditions where these tissues are altered
particularly by bacterial toxins in a process of marked cloudy swelling
that these intimal fatty streaks arise. Analyses in other diseases have
shown that such organic changes lead to a diminution in the cholesterin
content of the blood, while at the same time there is neither an
increased intake nor an excessive output. It would appear that certain
types of tissues and cells are stimulated into activity to become depots
for the cholesterin which is not being properly handled by the adrenal
and other organs. These cells in the intima which become active in
taking up cholesterin-esters are types of endothelial cells whose origin
is not entirely clear. In these lesions it is observed that the most
superficial cells of the intima do not show an overloading with the
fatty compound, but that the cells active in absorption lie at a level
slightly beneath the endothelial lining and form colonies as if arising
through active division of cells which are present in these parts.
Active migration on the part of these cells is not to be observed. They
do not appear to wander far from the location where they are found
during the acute process. The plaque may enlarge by proliferation and
thus enlarge the extent of the involved area. We have failed to find,
however, that these cells migrate into the lowermost portion of the
intima or into the media. The possibility that these cells do arise from
the endothelium lining the blood vessels has, up to the present, not
been excluded. If such is the case, the cells appear to adopt a function
which is not commonly observed in normal arteries nor present in the
endothelial cells lying immediately above the fatty plaque.
We have searched various arterial systems in the cases of acute epidemic
influenza for inflammatory lesions lying in the adventitia and media.
These, up to the present, we have not discovered. Some years ago a
number of French authors reported the development of acute
non-suppurative influenza lesions in the outer coats of arteries which
at times had aneurysm as the outcome. These cases, however, occurred
during non-epidemic periods, when the type of influenza of which the
patient suffered was quite different from that seen in pandemics. As far
as we know none of the reported cases of arteritis and aneurysm
occurring under these conditions has shown the presence of the influenza
bacilli in the arterial lesion. It is possible that sporadic influenza
has complicating secondary infections which are of importance in
localizing in the arterial wall.
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