Rectum: HIV-related enteropathy

HIV-related enteropathy This image is a medium power microscopic view from a rectal biopsy of an HIV-positive adult with diarrhoea. There was no inflammation or obvious infective agent, but the crypts are withered and numerous apoptoses (which look like dark blue spots) are seen in the basal portion. H&E stain. Apoptosis is a form of programmed cell death with nuclear disintegration which does not induce an inflammatory reaction. It is possible that natural killer T-cells cause the death of these epithelial cells. (Apart from HIV disease, apoptosis is only seen in the bowel in graft-versus-host disease). See image W0043171 for another section from the same case.