ACCUMULATION OF ACID-FAST LIPOCHROME BODIES IN GLIAL-CELLS OF THE MIDBRAIN NIGRAL LESION IN PARKINSONS-DISEASE

To confirm or refute the proposed link between nocardiae and Parkinson 's disease (PD), we investigated the presence of acid-fast spherical s tructures similar to filterable nocardiae at the midbrain nigral lesio ns of three patients with PD. Many clusters of acid-fast lipochrome bo dies were dense around blood vessels in the two patients with Hoehn an d Yahr stage II and III PD. These clusters were present in the vicinit y of melanin-pigmented neurons in the three PD patients studied. Exami nation of adjacent hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained sections indicated th at they consisted of yellow-green granules, bodies, and aggregates in ballooned glial cells. On the other hand, no clusters of acid-fast lip ochrome bodies were observed at the compacta region of three control p atients. Our results suggest that the immunological and genetic relati onship between the acid-fast lipochrome bodies and filterable nocardia e should be investigated.