Collagen secretion granules in reactive stromal myofibroblasts, with preliminary observations on their occurrence in spindle cell tumours

Abstract

Collagen secretion granules, representing stages in the intracellular packaging, transport and secretion of collagen-fibril precursor, have been studied by transmission electron microscopy in non-neoplastic human myofibroblasts and in neoplastic cells from a preliminary study of tumours exclusively or partly of spindle cell type. Vesicles, newly separated from Golgi saccules and containing finely fibrillar material, were identified as early presecretory granules, the most immature type of granule. Later stages exhibited longitudinally arranged, densely fibrillar bundles. Subsequently, secretory granules developed more homogeneously dense content. Fibril-containing cisternae near the plasma membrane were interpreted as either endocytotic or lysosomal structures, or as participants in the final stages of secretion. The features by which collagen secretion granules can be distinguished from other Golgi products, in particular melanosomes, Weibel-Palade bodies and lysosomes, are pointed out. The significance of these organelles for cell identification and tumour diagnosis is discussed. © 1989 Springer-Verlag.