Click here for larger
view.Slide # 4 - Loose fibroelastic connective tissue - plasma cell
Oil immersion view of an area of areolar connective tissue from the lamina propria layer of the esophagus mucous membrane, immediately beneath the epithelium. The small blood vessel (BV) or capillary here is lined by simple squamous epithelium. Other cells include a macrophage (Mph) with a heterochromatic (darkly staining) ovoid nucleus. There are numerous fibroblasts (Fb); these nuclei are elongate ovoid in shape and are euchromatic with less dense areas of clumped chromatin. Small lymphocytes (Ly) are also numerous and they have small round and very densely stained (heterochromatic) nuclei. These cells have very little cytoplasm but what exists is quite basophilic (blue-staining) and surrounds the nucleus in a thin rim. Plasma cells (PC) have slightly larger, circular nuclei but the chromatin is clumped at the periphery with thing strands radiating in to a central hub, giving this cell nucleus a distinct, clock-face appearance. The cytoplasm is usually very basophilic (gun-metal gray) and the nucleus is eccentric (off-centre). Extra-cellular connective tissue fibres are predominantly type I collagen (Col) and stain pink here. Elastic fibres are not easily seen without a special stain.
