[The concept of "organellopathies"--component of modern cellular pathology]

Abstract

Review is made to an account of contemporary knowledge on cell organelles in an attempt to describe organellopathies known at present together with their relations with diseases and syndromes. Organellopathy is defined as a disease, with its primary effect and/or primary morphological and functional alterations being located in the organelle population of one or several cell types. Mitochondriopathies (mitochondrial disorders), lysosomopathies (lysosomal disease), peroxisomopathies (peroxisomal disorders), ciliopathies (ciliary diseases), and plasma membranopathies (brush border membrane diseases) have so far been most comprehensively characterised and are associated with distinctive clinical pictures. However, unambiguously characterised pathies are almost completely absent with regard to other organelles. With numerous ideas still being of speculative nature, the concept of organellopathies as such may be considered as an element of modern cellular pathology.