Subnuclear lipid-containing vacuolization in cases of ketoacidosis - correlation of morphological findings and ketone body concentrations.

In a study on alcoholics, diabetics, cases of hypothermia, combinations of alcoholism, diabetes and hypothermia as well as 55 controls, ketone body measurements were performed in femoral vein blood, heart blood, vitreous humor, cerebrospinal fluid and urine. Histological investigations were carried out on the kidneys of the deceased. In addition to HE-staining, the cuts were stained with Sudan and PAS to allow differentiation between lipids and glycogens. The degree of stainability in the Sudan stains was correlated with the ketone body concentrations measured. In those cases in which elevated ketone body concentrations were measured, marked fat deposits in the renal tubular epithelial cells could be demonstrated with the Sudan staining method. The higher the stainability the higher the ketone body concentrations. The ketone body concentrations measured in the various body fluids correlated with the intensity of fat stainability.