As gestational age advances, there is an increase in tongue perimeter and length, in the percentage of collagen fibers, and in vascular perimeter, demonstrating that tongue formation is directly related to tongue growth and development.

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Background To verify the distribution of the degree of fat deposits and percentage of collagen and elastic fibers in the intimal and medial layers of the aorta of elderly patients autopsied, with and without Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Methods Twenty-six fragments of the aorta from elderly patients autopsied in the period from 1982 to 2014, were collected and, divided into two groups, being 13 with AIDS and 13 without AIDS. The intensity of the atherosclerosis was macroscopically evaluated in a semi-quantitative way. To quantify the elastic and collagen fibers, it was used the Leica Qwin Plus® software. Results In the comparison of the macroscopic intensity of atherosclerosis, the AIDS group (t = 0.6969, p = 0.4992). Regarding elastic fibers, there was a significant increase in the AIDS group (U = 115,800; p < 0.0001). Comparing the groups, there was a significant increase of the collagen fibers in the aortic layers in the AIDS group (U = 114,100; p < 0.0001). Conclusion The infection by the HIV influence in the amount of fibers in the extracellular matrix and the intensity of lipid deposit, demonstrating that it may be a risk factor to be considered for the development of atherosclerosis.

Bone marrow abnormalities are frequently observed in individuals with AIDS. Dysplasia, the most common abnormality, is found in more than 50% of patients infected with the HIV. The aim of this study was to assess trabecular thickness and collagen content as well as cellularity in the bone marrow of patients with AIDS. Sixty bone marrow samples were collected from the sternum of autopsied patients with or without AIDS (n = 30, each). Cellularity and trabecular thickness was assessed by performing hematoxylin-eosin staining; picrosirius staining was used to evaluate collagen content. Morphometric analyses were performed by using a Zeiss KS300 system (Kontron-Zeiss). Patients with AIDS showed a significant reduction in trabecular bone thickness and an increase in collagen deposition. No statistically significant differences were observed in cellularity between the 2 groups. Therefore, reduced thickness and increased collagen deposition were observed in the trabeculae of the bone marrow of patients with AIDS due to possible interaction between cytokines and bone marrow components.