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. 1991 Oct;67(5):403–407. doi: 10.1136/sti.67.5.403

Ultrastructural aspects of infection with Treponema pallidum subspecies pertenue (Pariaman strain).

H J Engelkens 1, V D Vuzevski 1, F J ten Kate 1, P van der Heul 1, J J van der Sluis 1, E Stolz 1
PMCID: PMC1194741  PMID: 1743714

Abstract

OBJECTIVE--To study ultrastructural aspects of infection with Treponema pertenue (Pariaman strain), originating from West Sumatra, Indonesia. MATERIALS AND METHODS--Biopsy material originating from skin lesions in ten young children suffering from early infectious yaws in Indonesia, and rabbit testicular tissue inoculated with T pertenue. Human skin as well as rabbit testicular tissue was examined by means of conventional electron microscopy. RESULTS--In human skin, treponemes were found in interepidermal spaces in 5 out of 10 specimens. In two of five positive specimens, treponemes were also seen in the dermis. In one out of five specimens from rabbit testicular tissue a profusion of treponemes was found lying in the interstitial myxomatous tissue. Microorganisms showed no adhesion to fibroblasts. CONCLUSION--This ultrastructural study of T pertenue demonstrated the scarcity and focal distribution of treponemes in tissue and did not reveal any morphological differences from the Gauthier strain of T pertenue. No differences from the ultrastructure of T pallidum were observed either.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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